More Than A Kiss
by gymnast1150
Summary: "It's just one kiss. To finally calm this tension between us so we can stop arguing and fighting all the time. Maybe we'll even become real friends...It's just one kiss, Zach." But that was such a lie. Whatever this was, whatever we were, whatever we just did…it was way more than just one kiss. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey there, Gallagher Girls fanfictionists! It's been a while since I've posted anything on here, mainly because I've had SO many story ideas floating around in my head with no titles, no clear story lines, and no real end games...and that just won't do. But I've finally managed to at least put one of those into words (actually a few of those, but this is the only one I have a title for and is ready to be posted, in my opinion)._

 _DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Gallagher Girl characters or franchise. All credit for this goes to Ally Carter._

 ** _FULL SUMMARY: "It's just one kiss. To finally calm this tension between us so we can stop arguing and fighting all the time. Maybe we'll even become real friends...It's just one kiss, Zach." But that was such a lie. Whatever this was, whatever we were, whatever we just did…it was way more than just one kiss._**

 **When Zach moved to Roseville freshman year, he promised his cousin he wouldn't get involved with any of her friends. But she should've known better than to say they're 'off-limits', because everyone knows that makes them all the more tempting, not like Cammie needed help being just that. She was sweet, innocent, and gosh darn beautiful, but she made a promise, too, and in the end, she had to honor her best friend's wishes.**

 **Three years later, the two still can't stand each other, constantly fighting and getting on each others' nerves. It looked like Cammie and Zach would never get along...Until they came up with an idea that just might save their 'friendship'.**

 **Boundaries are pushed, secrets are formed, and promises are broken-all to save a friendship that may already be damaged beyond repair.**

 _Rated T for language...but that may have to be changed to M...whoops._

* * *

 _Chapter One_

 _ **{Cammie}**_

The last thing I wanted to be thinking about was my AP English homework while I was at the biggest party of the summer. I still had a whole week left to finish it up before the first day of school, but for some reason, that's what my mind was obsessing over. That, and the fact that I was going to be a senior in just seven days.

I had come out to Hannah Brandt's BBQ-backyard party with one goal in mind—to have fun.

Unfortunately, my brain wasn't on the same page and was too worried about the damn book report I had yet to even start.

Sighing, I took a sip of the fruity drink I had in my cup that I was pretty sure had been spiked before the party. It definitely did not taste like any fruit punch I'd ever had.

"Hey, Cam? Does this taste weird to you?" My best friend, Liz Sutton, asked after shoving her way through a cluster of party-goers and joining me at one of the tall, wrought iron patio tables I just inhabited.

"I'm sure there was some alcohol added to it…Again," I told her. It seemed like every party we had attended this summer, whether it was alcohol friendly or not, always ended up with booze somewhere in the mix of drinks.

Liz rolled her eyes. "What's with everyone always trying to get drunk?" She asked, her tone exposing her disgust.

"It's high school, Liz," I replied as if the answer was obvious. "There's nothing better to do than get wasted and break some hearts."

"One day, these people are gonna wake up and realize they're not invincible, and they're gonna look back on these years and wish they hadn't screwed up." Although I agreed with her, I had my fair share of nights I wasn't too proud of the next morning. But Liz didn't have any of those. She was always the responsible one—the one who ended up babysitting all of us when we were too intoxicated to stand on our own. I always wondered if she ever had any fun at these kinds of parties, or if she only came because she wanted to make sure we were all okay by the end of the night.

"Or," I started, "they're going to say that these were the best years of their lives." Which, would truly be sad.

"Those people are idiots."

"Not everyone is as smart as you, Liz," I told her, laughing and taking a drink despite the fact that it was probably eighty-percent alcohol and only twenty-percent real fruit punch.

Liz's face contorted as she watched me down the rest of what was in my cup. "How can you even drink that?" she asked in disgust.

"Because maybe for one night, I want to be one of those invincible idiots."

"Got big plans for tonight? Something special, maybe?" She shot me a look that only your best friend can get away with, a knowing twinkle in her eye.

"You know I don't make those kinds of plans," I reminded her, even though I might have thought about it when getting ready for the night's adventures.

Liz must've sensed my hesitation, because she raised her eyebrows and added, "But…"

I hated how well she knew me. "But if the opportunity presents itself, who am I to let it pass?" I finished, slipping on an innocent smile despite my true intentions being anything but.

"Be careful, Cam." Picking up my empty cup and moving it out of my reach, she teased, "Too many of these and you'll consider anything that walks an opportunity."

I rolled my eyes. "Not _anything_ that walks."

"You're right. Anything except for Zach," she corrected herself, laughing like it was the funniest joke she's heard all night.

I resisted the urge to shoot her a killer glare. Of course she would make a joke about mine and Zach's inability to stand each other's presence—any one of our friends would if they were in Liz's position. To them, it was hilarious how much we hated each other. Little did they know the real reasons we avoided each other…

I played with my hair, slipping loose strands back into the messy up-do that took me hours to make it look like I just threw it up last minute, and toyed with my earrings in an attempt to appear unaffected by her comment.

"Speak of the devil," Liz uttered as her gaze swept across the yard.

I followed her lead, my eyes focusing on the group of teens gathered around the far side of the pool, the majority of them only half dressed and probably getting ready to jump into the water. Instinctively, no matter how much I hated it, I was drawn to the spiky, dark-haired boy in the middle of the crowd.

Zachary Goode grinned that sexy smile of his and laughed out loud at something Macey McHenry—his cousin and one of my best friends—had said. That deep, husky sound echoed across the yard, sending thrills down my spine. I tried not to notice how the black cotton of his V-neck t-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders even though he was simply just standing there, giving it no reason at all to be so tight and fitted against his body.

I could've really used another drink right about then.

"It's already after seven and Bex still isn't here," Liz exclaimed, breaking through my stupor.

Quickly, I turned away from the boy who, more often than not, slipped into my dreams at night and was probably the main reason for why I've been single for the better part of high school. "I'm sure she's fine. Maybe she's in traffic?" I offered, my mind still stuck on the fact that Zach was only thirty feet away.

"What traffic?" she asked with a scoff. "This town has, like, three stoplights."

 _Right…_

She had a point, and if my mind would focus on anything other than the walking sex God behind me, I would've known that, too. "Maybe she got caught up at home? You know how her parents can be."

"Maybe." She paused to think, actually bringing her hand to her chin and furrowing her brows like you'd see in cartoons. "I think I'm gonna call her and see where she is."

I nodded and she stood up to find a quiet place to make the call.

Alone once again, I couldn't stop myself from openly staring at Zach while he chatted with his friends, his mind probably in a whole other universe than mine.

It was no secret that he hated me, so I pretended to hate him, too—although the emotions he brought out of me were pretty close to such a feeling. I had never met someone who could make me as angry as he could, and he could do it without even trying. But he could also stir up those butterflies in my stomach and make my heart race as fast as the horses in the Kentucky Derby just as quickly. He was the only guy I'd met that could get me to feel the mix of emotions I did around him, and it made him all the more alluring. There was just one problem… I promised his cousin I wouldn't get involved with him.

Macey had made Liz, Hannah, our friend Bex Baxter, and myself promise that we would all stay away from her super-hot cousin when he first moved to Roseville in the ninth grade. She had claimed that she didn't want any of us getting hurt due to his play-boy ways, and because we were all best friends (and because we had yet to meet the infamous Zach Goode), we agreed without question.

From the moment I laid eyes on Zach, I knew I was in trouble. He was good-looking, charming, and—probably the most influential factor—off-limits. And when we made eye contact for the first time, I knew he was into me, too. There was a fire behind the green of his iris that ignited at the sight of me, something I'm sure that was reflected in my eyes as well. And the smile he gave me… I swear I went so weak in the knees that he had to hold me up by the hand he was shaking. Yeah, I was in major trouble.

That all changed when he suggested we ignore our promises to Macey and I turned him down. I don't know whether he was hurt or simply just embarrassed by my rejection, but whatever the case, I was immediately enemy number one on his list, and every encounter between the two of us after that was like walking on eggshells—extremely tense and very uncomfortable. I liked to think that maybe it was because of some unresolved sexual tension, but that was probably only true for me. Zach seemed to have moved past his attraction for me the moment I declined his offer.

I really needed to move on, and the best way to do that was to find another guy. After all, Zach started dating Aubree just barely a month after our fallout, so surely I could find someone else to occupy my time, too, right?

Except I didn't really have guys lining up at my door, waiting for me to get back out there and start dating again. I was asked out once by Brad Duffman during sophomore year, but after a bad date at one of the high school football games, that ended pretty quickly. But it wasn't my fault—my friends decided to crash the date, Zach being the most excited about ruining my night and telling Brad embarrassing things about me I didn't even know he knew. The guy really knew how to cramp my style.

But tonight was going to be different. Tonight I was going to find a potential guy who could help me get over this stupid crush I had on the world's biggest jerk. Now, I just had to keep an eye out for—

"Whatcha doing all the way over here by yourself?"

The perfect distraction.

And he just so happened to appear as if the universe was granting my wish.

"Hey, Lucas," I greeted with a smile. At over six-feet tall with short, blonde hair framing a good-looking peach-toned face, Lucas Grey looked like he could be a male model. He was graced with a pretty face, one that may have been prettier than most of the girls in our class, but somehow it managed to seem masculine at the same time. If anyone was to compete with Zachary Goode in the looks department, it would be this guy.

"Cammie Morgan, don't you look beautiful tonight?" he said as he grabbed the chair that Liz had been in before. Once he sat down, one of his drool-worthy arms brushed up against mine as he leaned forward on the table. When he didn't bother to move, I took it as a promising sign that maybe he was interested in seeing where this could go, as well.

"So I repeat," he started again, a huge grin on his face, "whatcha doing all the way over here by yourself?"

"Oh, just thinking about global warming and world peace. You know, the normal stuff." I finished with a wink, which made him laugh.

"Sounds like a lot of work. Maybe you could use a break?" he suggested, a sparkle in his eye. "Care to dance?"

I smiled back. I did tell Liz that if the opportunity presented itself…

Taking Lucas's outstretched hand, I answered, "A dance sounds perfect."

 _ **{Zach}**_

"Dude, you've got to see this."

I turned towards the voice, abandoning the conversation I was having with some girl that Bex had introduced me to hours ago and who I still could not remember the name of to save my life. "What?"

I heard the girl leave with a huff and I mentally rolled my eyes. I didn't care if she was annoyed—she wasn't anyone important anyway.

Pointing in the direction he and the other guys were staring, my best friend and wingman Grant Newman answered, "Looks like Lucas is trying to get some action." He finished with a hearty chuckle, one that I completely understood because Lucas Grey was the biggest joke at Roseville High.

"How long before he strikes out, do you think?" Ryan Matthews asked, evident amusement etched into his face.

"Just because it's Lucas, I say twenty minutes," Jonas Barrett answered first, but boy was he way off. I don't think I'd give Lucas even five minutes with the girl with the blonde messy up-do and the strapless coral dress that managed to accentuate all those amazing curves. This girl was easily a ten, and Lucas was, at best, a six—there was no way he _wasn't_ going to strike out. Sure, he already succeeded in getting her to dance with him, but watching him try to twirl her around with a natural swagger that he just didn't possess, I knew it wouldn't be long.

"Ha! I give it ten," Grant countered, obviously on the same line of thinking as I was. But that was still giving the punk way too much credit.

"No way, dude." I shook my head. "Do you see the ass on that chick? She's way out of his league. He'll blow it in no time."

Behind me I heard my cousin, Macey, scoff at my comment, and no doubt she rolled her eyes as well. "Pigs."

As Lucas started to twirl his partner again, I took another drink out of my cup—something I ended up _really_ regretting.

"Holy shit," Jonas muttered as the girl's face was revealed mid-twirl. "Guys, that's Cammie!"

Halfway through a hefty swallow, I nearly choked at his words, spitting out the rest of my juice. Cammie? As in, _Cammie Morgan_? There was no way she was dancing with Lucas Grey. No. Fucking. Way.

But sure enough, there she was, dancing and spinning and laughing like it was the most fun she's had in a while. Ugh, her laugh—it was the one sound that could make my stomach flip and pulse race in an instant. And her smile was amazing, brightening up her whole face and bringing out the natural, beautiful blush of her cheeks. And all of this was directed at that punk, Lucas.

I hated that he was the one making her smile like that, but what I hated even more was that she never smiled like that at me. I don't know why I thought she would—she's hated me for years. Ever since I became a complete dick to her after she rejected me, she wanted nothing to do with me. And I couldn't blame her—I was a _huge_ asshole to her. I don't even remember my reasoning behind it. It's not like her turning me down actually hurt my pride—I know she only did it because of our promises to Macey—but I guess I just wanted her to see me as worth the risk like I did her. And when she didn't, I got angry and screwed up our entire relationship. Now, it was like she could barely look at me, and I was the only one to blame for it.

The guys busted out laughing, though I wasn't entirely sure why.

Until Declan Wilson—Macey's boyfriend and, therefore, a member of our crew by default—told me through a fit of giggles, "You just checked out Cammie's ass!"

I was never a fan of Declan, but in that moment, I hated him more than ever.

"Cam's dancing with Lucas Grey?" Bex asked, suddenly tuning into our conversation. "Nice."

Was she seriously impressed by that guy? And did she seriously think it was a good thing that Cammie was dancing with him?

"Eh, she can do better," Ryan replied with a shrug. I tried not to look too eager when I nodded in agreeance, but it was true. She could do _so_ much better than that guy. I just wished _I_ could be the guy worthy of her.

"What is with you guys not liking Lucas?" Macey asked from Declan's lap in one of those poolside lounge chairs. "He's a good guy."

"Yeah. Plus, he and Cammie would make a cute couple," Hannah added as she watched them with an admiring twinkle in her eyes.

It made me sick.

Cammie was _not_ going to be in any sort of relationship with that guy. Not if I had anything to do with it.

"Are you kidding me? The guy's a total wanna-be," Ryan told Hannah, his face scrunched up like he was smelling something foul.

"A wanna-be?" She rolled her eyes. "He's on every varsity sports team at school and he's a guarantee for salutatorian. Sounds to me like he's got all his bases covered."

I was suddenly becoming less of a fan of Hannah.

"And yet, he can't get a girl." Good thing I had real friends like Grant to take my side, even though no one technically knew that I hated Lucas simply because he was dancing with Cammie.

"Is that all that matters to you boys?" Bex asked.

Grant, Jonas, and Ryan all confidently answered with a resounding "yes," and the three girls rolled their eyes at them.

"Well, looks like he's no longer a wanna-be," Macey exclaimed, her eyes focused back on the sight I couldn't bring myself to look at again. "He and Cammie are leaving together." The smirk in her voice was so apparent, and I hated that we had that quality in common.

At her words, I turned back to the duo to see that they were no longer dancing, but rather heading towards the front of the house, a sure sign that they were leaving.

Even I could hear the irritation in my voice as I growled, "What the fu—"

"We're stopping this," Grant announced, his expression suddenly furious. "Now."

As the four guys (excluding Declan because, let's face it, no one but Macey liked him) began to follow Cammie and her poor choice of a companion, I heard Bex call after us, "Haven't you guys interfered enough in her love life? Leave the poor girl alone!"

Damn straight we were going to interfere. This was Cammie we were talking about. She was the only innocent one left in our group, and the guys took it upon themselves to protect her from some scumbag who was going to use her for his own personal gain and take that away from her.

And if I was lucky, I'd be able to punch the fucking lights out of Lucas Grey.

* * *

 _Alright, there it is! Sorry not much happened here, this is kind of more like part one of this scene,because it continues into chapter two where the_ real _action takes place lol._

 _Well, let me know what you think and don't be afraid to leave a review (: Thanks!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you all so much for your awesome reviews (: It's always scary publishing a new story because you really want people to like your idea and you have no idea if they actually will, so reading all of your excitement and encouragement made me feel better! So huge thanks to all of you awesome people out there keeping this fandom alive lol._

* * *

 _Chapter 2_

 _ **{Cammie}**_

"You know, I've been wanting to ask you out for a while now," Lucas said out of nowhere, his tone completely calm and in control.

Something mine totally wasn't when I answered in shock, "Really?" There was no way that was true. I mean, Lucas Grey was the star athlete at Roseville High, practically on every varsity team imaginable, and he was the smartest guy in our graduating class! Why would he seriously be interested in plain, boring Cammie Morgan?

But apparently he was, because he smiled and nodded.

"What took you so long?" I asked, keeping my eyes locked on my shoes in an attempt to hide my blushing cheeks.

With a small laugh, he replied, "Well, you're kind of intimidating."

"What?" The notion was so ridiculous that I couldn't help but actually laugh out loud.

"I mean, you have to know how beautiful you are. It's kind of obvious," he told me, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"No way," I paused to laugh again. "You're just saying that because you're nice."

"No, seriously, Cammie." He stopped for a second to bring my hand to his lips. His lazy smile was perfect as his eyelids dropped and he looked at me with such admiration.

And I hated myself for letting my mind wander back to a time when a different boy used to give me the same look. Was I ever going to get Zach out of my head?

"You really are beautiful. Trust me," Lucas continued. For a second, I actually forgot I was standing in front of him instead of Zach, which of course made me feel guilty. I turned away and continued to walk towards the parked cars, him casually following behind.

"If that's true, then why hasn't anyone approached me before tonight?" I asked him. "I mean, you're the first guy in years to show any interest in me."

"That's because your friends are pretty intimidating, too," he answered, sheepishly.

My friends were intimidating? What exactly did he mean by that? I mean, I know Hannah was your typical blonde Barbie with incredible good looks that were just plain unfair to the rest of the female population, and Bex and Liz were both beautiful in their own exotic ways, but even _they_ have had dates in the past. And Macey could give the best supermodels a run for their money and she still had Declan Wilson for a boyfriend. So, why should they even be an issue when it came to dating me?

Without waiting for a response, Lucas continued, "I mean, Grant is one big dude, and Zach has pretty much threatened any guy who's even thought about talking to you."

"Wait, what?" Was he saying that my _guy_ friends were the intimidating ones? And did he just say that they were _preventing_ guys from asking me out? "Grant and Zach are the reasons no guy wants to date me?"

He nodded. "And Jonas and Ryan," he added. "Except a ton of guys _want_ to, but they're all afraid to. Trying to get to you is like trying to break into the White House with as many body guards as you seem to have." He finished with a laugh, but I failed to find the humor in his words.

I was going to kill those guys…

"I can't believe them," I muttered through clenched teeth.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm here, aren't I?" Lucas assured me. Again, he gave me that sweet smile, and my anger started to dissipate. "Besides, it just makes you more appealing. There must be something extremely special about you for them to go through all that trouble to protect you."

"Or they're just idiots," I countered, to which he laughed at.

"I'm sure that's part of it, as well."

Despite being angry, I finally cracked a smile. After all, he wasn't chased away by my friends' stupidity and their absurd threats, and that made me feel kind of…good.

I turned to him and gave him a genuine smile. "Thank you for asking me to dance, Lucas. Even though my friends will probably have something to say about it next time they see you." I laughed, hoping to disguise the fact that it was probably true.

"It was my pleasure, Cammie," he told me with a smile of his own.

We stopped in front of a big silver truck, which coincidentally was the same one I pointed out to Macey when we first arrived at the party because it was the most attractive car I had ever seen.

His brilliant smile faded into a hopeful grin when he looked at me and asked, "Are you sure I can't drive you home?"

Suddenly, I was reminded of how big of a wimp I was. At the start of the night, I was determined to find myself a distraction—one that would help me kick my unhealthy Zach-addiction—and I was graciously awarded the perfect one, but as soon as he had asked while we were dancing if I needed a ride home, I lost all my courage and had to refuse, offering to walk him out to his car to say goodbye instead.

I was actually slightly upset with myself, but all my nerve was gone, and there was nothing I could do but hope he wouldn't take this as a rejection.

I shook my head. "You have practice early tomorrow, remember? You need to get home and get some sleep."

A look of disappointment crossed his face.

 _Trust me, I know the feeling._

"Okay." As quickly as his mood deflated, it picked right back up as he eyed me with a mischievous smirk. "On one condition."

Giving him a wary look, I asked, "What is it?"

"I get a goodnight kiss."

Shocked and surprised, I stood there speechless. _Lucas actually wants to kiss me!_

He placed his hand on my waist, giving me a slight tug so that my body was pressed against his, but he kept a small space between our lips, apparently intent on waiting for my consent before diving in.

"Oh…kay," I answered, sounding more unsure than I felt. Of course I wanted to kiss him, but a voice in my head was telling me that it was all wrong. Probably the same voice that tells me dreaming about Zach won't hurt.

Lucas leaned in, placing his lips just a hair width from mine, when a voice from behind us spoke up.

"Lucas, you heading out?" Grant Newman's deep baritone echoed off the maze of cars surrounding us.

Looking uneasy and confused, Lucas glanced at me and then at Grant before answering, "Um, yeah. I have to be up early so I was just saying goodbye to Cammie and then I was—"

"Leaving," Zach finished for him, his tone very dry and almost demanding—like it wasn't up for discussion.

I glared at him, but he didn't notice since he was too busy also glaring at the boy I was _this close_ to kissing.

"Well?" Ryan Matthews asked, gesturing towards Lucas and me. "Don't let us stop you. Say your goodbyes." He leaned up against the bed of the truck, his arms crossed in front of him saying that he wasn't moving, so we better make it quick.

He (along with Grant, Zach, and Jonas Barrett) continued to stare while Lucas and I simply stood there, dumbfounded by the turn of events.

"Uh, guys? A little privacy?" I asked, but no response came. The four of them didn't move—they didn't even blink. "I guess not," I sighed. Turning to Lucas, I asked, "Call me later?"

Glancing over my shoulder at the boys, he stuttered, "Uh, yeah. Sure." Climbing into the driver's seat of his truck, he mumbled a "see ya" and then drove off.

By the look on his face when he left, I knew he wasn't going to call.

Oh, I was so going to kill those guys…

::*::*::*::

 _ **{Zach}**_

It took every ounce of self-control I had to keep from pummeling Lucas when I saw how close he was to locking lips with Cammie. Through my fit of anger I only said one word to the guy, and I cringed when I heard the possessive growl in my voice when I told him to leave. Judging by the scowl Cammie shot me, I assumed she heard it, too. But I didn't care as long as it got Lucas to _back the fuck up_ and get away from her.

I was pretty proud of myself when Lucas hopped in his car and drove off without so much as a second glance. That is, until I realized Cammie was absolutely pissed.

She snapped around towards us quicker than a flash of lightning, and the look she cut the four of us was just as deadly.

"What is _wrong_ with you guys?!"

I could tell how mad she was by the way she pulled at her hair and practically stomped her foot, her eyes wild with anger.

"Come on, Cam. You don't want to be with Lucas," Grant told her.

"Like you have any idea what I want," she spat at him, angrily slamming a hand into her hip and cocking it out to the side. Although the act was supposed to express how frustrated she was, all it did was accentuate the natural curve of her body.

"Trust us, we were doing you a favor," Jonas explained, completely unaffected by our friend's obvious beauty and distracting sex appeal.

"Yeah!" Ryan agreed enthusiastically. Patting her shoulder a couple times and giving her a wink, he continued, "You're welcome."

She shrugged him off with a huff. Then, turning to me, she narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. "This is all your fault," she growled.

I was taken aback by the accusation. I hadn't done anything the others hadn't done. In fact, I was pretty quiet while Grant and Ryan were the ones who harassed him. " _My_ fault?"

She stepped closer, tilting her head back as she did so she could keep the eye contact and continue to glare. The act exposed her bare neck even more considering her hair was tied up. I internally groaned at the sight of her soft skin just waiting to be touched.

"Lucas told me that you go around threatening guys who are interested in me. Is that true?"

I didn't know how to respond. I mean, yes, it was true, but it's because I can't stand the thought of her being with someone else. Especially those scumbags that only want her for their own personal gain. But was I going to tell her that and expose my feelings toward the girl who so obviously hates my guts? Hell no. I'd rather her hate me for a lifetime than to do something that stupid.

"We're just trying to look out for you," Grant sighed. "That's all." Although it sounded like he was coming to my defense, I knew he was actually telling her because he wanted her to know we had her back. That's the thing about Cammie—no matter how close and loyal the guys are to each other, we would always put her first.

She turned to him and laughed. "Oh, really? _Zach's_ looking out for me?" she asked in disbelief.

 _Ouch._

Spinning back on me with a sharpness to her voice, she grumbled, "Say it. You just like to make my life miserable."

Okay, I may not be the best friend or even the best guy to her, but we were still friends. At least in my mind we were. I was actually a bit offended by how little she thought of me considering all I've done since I screwed up our friendship was try to help her.

"Is that what you think?" I asked, my voice calmer than it should've been.

With as much attitude as that little body could hold, she answered, "Well, you've been doing it for years so yeah, that's what I think."

"Unbelievable." I was about to snap, worse than ever before because, seriously? Was she that dense that she couldn't tell how I truly felt about her? That I honestly cared about her?

"Okay, fine," I blurted out with a huff. "Yes, it's true that I threaten any guy who talks about you with such disrespect, like you're a fucking piece of meat. Yeah, I tell guys to back off when they talk about wanting to get a little handsy with you. If that makes me a bad friend, then so be it." I stepped even closer to her so she knew how serious I was, and I could've sworn I saw her eyes glaze over with desire for the briefest of moments. Her anger had finally lessened, but she still looked fiercely determined. And beautiful. So damn beautiful. "Whether you believe it or not, everything I've done the past few years has been _for_ you, not against you. No one wants to see you get hurt by some jackass, Cammie. So don't you dare accuse me of just trying to make your life miserable."

Without warning, she shoved past me and walked back towards the party.

I sighed heavily. "Cam, wait—"

She didn't even bother to turn around when she yelled back, "Screw off, Zach."

* * *

 _I gotta say, I'm really excited about this story! At first I was a little hesitant about the story line, but now I'm kinda proud of what I've thought through and have come up with for you all (:_

 _I am currently looking for a beta, so if you're interested PM me. I need someone who can get back to me fast and who really truly wants to help make my story better...not just point out grammar mistakes or misspelled words. Sometimes, I have writer's block and I need someone to help me work through that...and if there's a scene that they don't like or they don't think will make my story progress in the right direction, they're not afraid to tell me. And they're not afraid to share their ideas with me, either! If that's you, then you're perfect! Lol._

 _A big huge thanks to one guest named AllyCarterFan who left me the most awesome review ever! It made my day to read how my story was EXACTLY what you were looking for... Makes me feel like I'm doing something right lol. Another big t_ _hanks to all who are reading and reviewing and making me smile with all your kind words (: Stay awesome!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three_

 _ **{Zach}**_

What the hell was wrong with me? As far as Cammie knew—as far as _anyone_ knew, for that matter—I merely tolerated the beautiful blonde. And now, all of a sudden, I care for her and want to protect her? Honestly, I don't blame her for storming off the way she had. After all I'd done, she probably thought I was full of shit. I mean, not once in our three years of friendship had I given her any reason to believe what I had said was true. Which was probably for the best. It fueled her hatred even more, and the more she hated me, the more she avoided me.

I couldn't resist spending the entire next day wallowing in self-loathing, hating myself for telling Cammie, the girl who couldn't hate me any more if she tried, that I cared for her. Not only that, but it almost sounded like I threatened those guys because I was _jealous_ of them! Seriously, _what the fucking hell was wrong with me?!_

It was well into the afternoon, borderline early evening, when Macey paraded through the front door carrying a foil-covered bowl, cutting my pity-party short by about five hours.

"Hey, cous. Make sure your mom gets this, will ya?" she asked as she made her way through the living room.

"What is it?" I asked, not exactly interested but pretending to be anyway. I turned away from the TV that did little to keep my mind busy and watched as she walked into the kitchen.

"It's food. Does it really matter what it is?"

I noncommittedly shrugged. "Good point."

She slid down onto the couch next to me, tucking her legs up underneath her and propping her head in her hand as she rested her elbow along the back.

Oh, no. I knew that look. That was her go-to gossip position. And by the look in her eye, whatever it was she wanted to talk about was something important. Something that could probably get me into trouble if I wasn't careful.

I pretended not to notice, hoping she would leave if I didn't pay her any attention. But this was Macey, Queen of Gossip, so of course she didn't mind having to pry it out of me.

"So, what happened at the party last night?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, playing dumb. As if it wasn't all I'd been thinking about today.

"I mean, you idiots went after Cammie and Lucas, and then I never saw you again."

After I blew up on Cammie, I had strayed back inside the house where all the drinking took place, hoping to get as fucking wasted as possible so that I could forget the night's shitty events. But it didn't work. I still remembered the look of betrayal on Cammie's face when she accused me of purposefully trying to ruin her life. And I still remembered throwing back multiple shots at a time just to throw them back up less than ten minutes later. And I still remembered Liz hauling my sloppy ass out to her car and her driving me home. And worst of all, I still remembered drunkenly asking her if Cammie hated me, and me pouting when she answered _yes_.

I was officially the biggest idiot in the world.

"So?" Macey pried again. "What happened? Did Lucas hit you? Is that why you don't want to talk about it? You're too embarrassed to have been beaten up by a _wanna-be_?" She finished with a laugh.

I turned to her, giving her the most unimpressed look I could muster, which wasn't hard considering she was being utterly ridiculous. As if that punk could lay a hand on me without getting royally fucked in return.

"You're not funny, Mace," I told her.

"I beg to differ," she argued, still chuckling. "But seriously, tell me what happened. I want the full story."

"Why don't you just ask Cam?" I was getting annoyed. I didn't want to talk about the night before, and a part of that was because I was ashamed. I was a horrible person and an even worse friend to have prevented her from being happy all because I was too chicken-shit to come clean.

"She won't talk about it," Macey replied with a huff, as if Cammie was being unreasonable by keeping the juicy gossip from her friends. "That's why I'm here. Obviously something happened and I have a feeling it was all your fault."

"Funny. Cammie said the same thing."

 _Ugh, why did I just say that? And why did I have to sound so bitter about it?_

Lately it seemed like I was doing and saying things that made it more and more apparent that I had feelings for Cammie other than disdain, and if I wasn't careful, everyone would know and it could ruin the dynamic of the group. People would choose sides, and I'm not entirely sure who all would choose me over Cammie after how I've treated her.

"What are you talking about?" Macey asked and I heard the genuine confusion in her voice.

With a sigh and a swift string of curses at myself, I muted the TV and turned to my nosey cousin. I really hated myself for even thinking about divulging into last night's escapade, but it was too late to turn back now. "She might've found out that I may have threatened a few guys to stay away from her and now she blames me for never having a boyfriend."

A look of shock and disbelief crossed her face. "Wow." For a moment, I thought I had stunned her into silence.

That is, until she busted out laughing. And I'm talking loud, out-of-control bellows that had her gripping her stomach as she struggled to regain her composure. "You _actually_ hate her, don't you?" she asked through her fit of giggles.

Fed up with the conversation at that point, I turned back to the TV and unmuted it, hoping to drown out her obnoxious laughter which only seemed to be getting louder with every passing second.

When it was clear that she wasn't going to shut up anytime soon, I barked at her, "What the hell is so funny?"

She shook her head, wiping away a few tears that welled in her eyes. "Remember when I had you promise to stay away from my friends?"

Remember it? It single-handedly ruined my life! It pissed me off just thinking about it! A small tick in my jaw told me that I probably shouldn't open my mouth, so I simply nodded and prayed that she couldn't see how irritated her damn promise made me.

"Well, it wasn't my friends as a whole that I was worried about. The only reason I had you promise me that was because of Cammie. I thought that out of all my friends, she'd be the one you'd go for."

 _That fucking bitch._ Although nothing changed since her promise would've kept me away from Cammie anyway, it still changed _everything_. If Cammie had known that Macey just wanted to keep me away from _her_ and not all four of her friends, maybe she would've been more susceptible to breaking her promise. Maybe then she wouldn't have felt like the traitor of the group because she was the only one to not honor Macey's wishes.

My life could've been completely different if Macey had just changed that one tiny detail. _That fucking bitch_.

The traitor I called my cousin started to laugh all over again, the sound roaring throughout the empty house. "Clearly I was wrong," she told me, failing to sense the fury that I'm sure was pouring from my heated glare.

"Yeah. Hilarious."

I ignored her after that as I waited for her laughter to die down, telling myself on numerous occasions that even if she was family, I couldn't hit a girl.

Finally, she quieted down with a content sigh. Casually standing up, like she hadn't been _this close_ to having her head knocked off, she announced, "Well, I gotta get going. I just came by to drop off the casserole and find out what went down last night."

"See ya," I mumbled, happy that she was finally leaving.

She stopped by the front door, turning back to look at me. She must've heard the irritation in my voice, because she eyed me skeptically, like I was a stranger who she'd never seen before. "You okay?" she asked.

"Yep."

She folded her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes, and I knew she didn't believe me. "Did something else happen last night that you want to tell me about?"

 _How about the fact that I almost confessed to having feelings for Cammie in front of her and all the guys?_ Hell, she'd have a field day with that bit of information.

Instead, I smiled and said, "You mean, other than me getting your boyfriend drunk and drawing a dick on his face once he passed out?"

She took the bait, just like I knew she would. Scoffing and rolling her eyes, she reached for the door and yanked it open. "You're pathetic," she snarled before slamming it shut.

"Love you, too, cous!" I shouted after her, getting it in before the door fully closed behind her, and I was left alone again to think about how badly I fucked things up with Cammie.

::*::*::*::

 _ **{Cammie}**_

Because I couldn't sleep, I stayed up the whole night reading the book for my report in AP English that was due in six days. It was so unlike me to have waited this long to start the assignment, which was probably why I was feeling stressed about getting it done. Unfortunately for me, my mind wouldn't focus on the damn book. In fact, it wouldn't focus on anything other than my angry fight with Zach.

After spending all morning trying to type the stupid paper, I was beyond frustrated because of how miserably I was failing. Every few sentences, my mind would drift off, making it almost impossible to stay focused long enough to get anything done. I was contemplating giving up when my phone rang.

Answering the call and putting it on speaker phone so I could continue working (because, let's face it, I'd work through the next six days straight if that's what it'd take to get it done), I said, "Hey, Liz. What's up?"

"Nothing. Just calling to make sure you got home okay last night," her voice said through the speaker.

I rolled my eyes. Of course that's why she was calling. Typical Liz.

"Yes, mom. I got home just fine," I told her sarcastically. "You know you don't have to check up on all of us after every party, right? We're big kids."

"I know, I know," she sighed. "But Zach was pretty messed up last night so I figured I'd check in with everyone else, too."

At the mention of his name, my typing stalled. Why did she have to bring _him_ up? It's bad enough I spent my _entire_ night replaying every bullshit thing he said to me. I really didn't need the reminder right now.

"So what if Zach was drunk? What else is new?" I scoffed, immediately irritated.

"Not just drunk. He was completely wasted," Liz corrected. "I practically had to carry him out to my car. That kid is _not_ light."

"And I repeat, he was drunk. What else is new?"

"Actually, he's been rather good lately. I'm kind of shocked he was the sloppy drunk this time," she answered, sounding genuinely shocked as if this was the first time she sat down and really thought about it.

Hearing that piqued my interest. I always assumed that Zach was one of those future frat boys who permanently had a beer in his hand and a buzz in his head. At least that's what it looked like at all the parties we attended to this summer. "Really?" I asked, voicing my curiosity. "I thought he always drank?"

"He drinks, but he doesn't get drunk. At least not like that," she explained.

"Oh."

There was a slight pause from her end before she continued. "Did something happen last night that I don't know about?" she asked suspiciously.

"No," I lied. "Why do you ask?"

"Because he asked me if you hated him."

 _What the heck?_ Why would Zach care about that? He never cared about my feelings towards him before. In fact, it was as if the angrier I was at him, the happier he was.

"And what did you say?"

"Yes."

I let out a small sigh, whether out of relief or disappointment, I wasn't sure. Probably a mix of both. "Good."

"And then he cried."

I nearly choked on my own spit at that. "What? He _cried_?" I must've misheard her. There was no way that that was true.

"Basically," Liz replied, and I could practically hear the shrug she gave when she spoke. "So I figured something happened between you two that upset him. Although, I'm not sure why he'd care. It's not like he's a big fan of you either."

 _Good point_. Not only did he care enough to ask Liz if I hated him, but he cared enough to _cry_ when she told him I did. What the heck was going on with that guy?

"Yeah. Weird," I mumbled, more interested in my own thoughts than the conversation. "Hey, Liz? I really need to finish this book report, so I'll just talk to you later, okay?" That was a lie considering there was no way I would be able to focus on it now, but I needed to end this call immediately before I risked asking any more questions about what Zach might've said in his drunken state last night.

"You're not done yet?" she asked incredulously with a small gasp.

I rolled my eyes as I held back a chuckle. I bet Liz was done the day after we received the email about the assignment over a month back. "Goodbye, Liz," I exclaimed before hanging up the phone.

Staring at my laptop's screen, the book report barely half finished, I replayed Liz's words and last night's events over and over again. It almost seemed as if the two went hand-in-hand. Could he have been telling the truth about just trying to protect me from guys who wanted to take advantage of me? Was it possible that Zach truly _did_ care about me? It would explain why he'd get upset after our fight and try to drink away his problems, and also why he was so sad after Liz answered his question.

Maybe Zach doesn't hate me as much as he claims to? Maybe it's all an act to save face? He thinks I hate him, so he pretends to hate me back to avoid humiliation. I'm not saying that he's been pretending this entire time—in fact, I'm almost a hundred percent positive that he hated me for a while after I rejected him. But three years later, it seems like all that might've changed.

Three years later, it seems like our hatred is just a cover up for the unresolved feelings we never acted on, and if that's as true for him as it is for me, then…things are about to get really messy.

* * *

 _Hey there! Finally got this typed up and posted (: It took me a few days to get it how I liked it considering I've rewritten it about three times (and I'm talking LEGIT rewrites...originally this chapter was going to have that pivotal moment where Cammie and Zach figure out a solution to their problems, and then it was going to revolve around being at practice and they would have_ another _fight, and then this is the final product... yeah, I had some trouble with this one, if you couldn't tell). So I hope you all enjoyed this even though I know you're all waiting for that kiss :P._

 _I made a mistake in the very first chapter that no one commented on thankfully! Liz left Cammie to go call Bex because she wasn't at the party yet, but then in Zach's POV, Bex was already there and had been for hours considering she introduced to him to no-name-girl. Oh, funny stuff lol._

 _I've decided to try out this poll thing they have on this site! I figured this would be a fun way to get you all involved with this story and have it feel like it's yours just as much as it is mine (: So go check it out! The poll will be opened for four days, so August 17th at 11:59 pm is the deadline...feels like a homework assignment, doesn't it? Lol. Welcome back to school everybody!_

 _Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, and favorited. Your support means the world to me!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four_

 _ **{Zach}**_

The rest of the week was pretty tame, and before I knew it, the first day of school had rolled around. Normally I hated when summer ended, but this was my last first day of high school, which had me unusually excited.

That must've been something Grant and I had in common considering he had the biggest smile on his face as he approached me in the school's hallway before class started.

"Dude, can you believe it? We're seniors!" he exclaimed, hitting my arm harder than he probably intended to from all his excitement.

"Ow." Man, that guy could pack a punch.

He ignored me as I rubbed out my shoulder. "We're at the top of the food chain, man! Especially since you're the star of the soccer team. We can do whatever and _whoever_ we want." He finished with a wicked grin that told me he was definitely going to exercise that last part as much as possible.

"Don't you already do that?" I asked, stopping in front of my locker.

"Dude, why are you trying to burst my bubble?"

I chuckled and shook my head, entering in my combination and opening the locker door.

"Holy shit," Grant muttered from behind me. "That Sydney chick got hot over the summer. Sorry, man, I gotta go. I'll catch you later." And then he was gone, chasing after the redhead with the curliest hair I've ever seen.

I placed my books and binders into the small space, clearing out my backpack except for the supplies I'd be using in my first period class.

"Hey, Zach," I heard a familiar voice purr that had me frozen where I stood. The last time I heard that voice, I was telling its owner to go to hell and to never speak to me again—something she obviously decided to ignore.

"What do you want, Aubree?" I asked, not bothering to hide my irritation.

Aubree Wexler was my ex-girlfriend who I had been dating on-and-off for two years. Currently, we were off, and I planned on it staying that way for good considering things got real messy between us when I broke up with her before the summer. I wasn't too affected by it—the only reason I asked her out freshman year was because Cammie rejected me. And sure, through all our ups and downs, Aubree and I developed real feelings for each other, but all that was ruined when she betrayed me, humiliating me in the process.

She tsked in disapproval at my response. "Testy. Can't I just say hi to an old friend?" she asked in faux innocence, an amused smile crossing her face.

I slammed my locker shut. "We're not friends." I turned away, quickly moving down the hallway in hopes of out-running her.

No such luck.

I heard her following close behind me, struggling to keep up with my rapid pace. "Okay, I deserve that," she said, dropping her flirtatious act from before.

 _Yeah, no kidding. You also deserve to get hit by a bus._

I didn't bother responding. I just continued down the hall, turning right when it reached a dead end and made my way towards my first period classroom.

Getting fed up with my silent treatment, she grabbed my arm to get my attention. "Zach, I'm sorry, okay?" she apologized. In the two years we had been dating, I had never heard her apologize before. It surprised me enough to not laugh in her face and tell her to fuck off like I normally would.

With a sigh, she continued, looking more uncomfortable by the minute. "I've been thinking a lot about our breakup, and I was hoping you'd give me a chance to explain myself. So, if we could maybe talk…?" Her voice took on a desperation, as if she was begging me to consider hearing her out.

I _really_ didn't want to, but this was a different side to Aubree that I had never seen before, and I'd be lying if I said I hadn't wondered what the hell went wrong with us.

I sighed, completely disappointed in myself for caving in to her yet again. "How about after school?" I asked. "I'll only have a few minutes, though, before practice, so—"

"We'll make it quick!" she promised, eyes wide with hope. Then, as if flipping a switch, she slipped on a sly smile and ran her fingers across my chest, a sudden flirty twinkle lighting up her eyes. "We've gotten pretty good at that," she finished with a wink, laying the insinuation on thick.

"We're just talking, Aubree," I clarified. There was no way anything was going to happen with us as long as I had a say in it. I could forgive, but I will never forget what she did.

"Oh, lighten up, Zach," she told me, dropping her hand and rolling her eyes. "Just because we're broken up doesn't mean we can't still joke around. Or reminisce about the good old days." That sneaky grin appeared again, making my stomach churn.

"I'm going to class," I told her bluntly, refusing to give in to whatever game she was playing. "Remember, today after school. Just talking," I told her again, making clear where the lines would be drawn with us. Without waiting for a cheeky response, I disappeared into the crowd and finally escaped to the safety of my classroom.

::*::*::*::

 _ **{Cammie}**_

 _Where the hell is he?_

I'd been standing in front of Zach's locker for nearly twenty minutes after school, waiting patiently for him to show up so he could take me home. After the first five minutes, I was already cursing Grant for leaving school early for some stupid doctor's appointment, forcing me to find another ride. Lucky for me, Grant said he already found me one. Unlucky for me, who he found was none other than the guy I've made a point to avoid the rest of my life. Something told me that may have been the main reason behind why Grant chose him in the first place. I swear, sometimes I hated my friends.

Finally, Zach turned the corner and made a beeline for where I stood, although his quick pace looked more like it had to do with the anger rolling off him in waves than it did with feeling guilty for making me wait so long.

"There you are. Finally," I exclaimed, trying to keep my frustration at bay considering he was doing me a huge favor.

"What are you doing at my locker?" he asked, letting his backpack slide off his shoulder and fall to the floor.

"Grant didn't tell you? He had a doctor's appointment so he told me to catch a ride with you." This conversation just took a wrong turn and was quickly heading south. If Zach couldn't drive me home, who could? Obviously this was my last resort. Otherwise, I would never step foot into Zach's car willingly.

"No, he didn't tell me," he answered. His head tipped back as he let out a groan. Obviously, this wasn't how he was expecting his day to end, either. "Sorry, Cam, but I have soccer practice until four-thirty, which I'm already late for." As if I couldn't guess that by the lightning speed at which he was shoving things from his backpack into his locker, and vice versa.

I sighed, slumping back against the row of lockers. "Great."

"If you don't mind staying around until then, I'll take you home, but otherwise you're out of luck." I knew he said he was in a rush, but I highly doubt that's what was making him sound so apathetic, like he couldn't care less about my problems at the moment. He probably felt like that all the time when it came to me.

Unfortunately, like I said, he was my last resort. "Well, I don't really have a choice, do I?" I asked, throwing attitude back at him and making it perfectly clear that I wasn't happy about the situation, either.

Slamming his locker, he pulled his bag onto his shoulder again. "Nope," he answered, then took off towards the athletic locker rooms located outside by the soccer field.

"So, where were you?" I asked, filling in the silence as we practically ran through the building. "I was waiting for, like, twenty minutes before you showed up."

"I was with Aubree," he huffed.

Whoa. Can't say I was expecting that. "Your ex-girlfriend?"

"That's the one." He was obviously not in the mood to talk about it, but I couldn't help the jealousy that was rising at the thought of him and her together. Knowing her, she somehow managed to manipulate him into giving her another shot, even though the last four or five times hadn't worked for them. Aubree Wexler was one of those girls who liked to have the final say, and since Zach was the one to end it this time, there was no doubt in my mind that she wouldn't try to persuade him into going back out with her just so _she_ could dump _him_.

I held back a grimace as I thought about what they were doing that would've taken twenty minutes. "I didn't realize you two were back together," I said, hoping I sounded casual enough to not raise suspicion.

"We're not," he replied, side glancing at me as though he didn't know why I'd think that or why I cared.

"Oh." _So, they weren't back together. Good._ "So, why were you with—"

"She wanted to apologize for the way things ended between us," he explained, not bothering to give me any more details than necessary.

"I'm guessing they didn't end well?"

"She cheated on me." His voice was tight when he spoke, like he was suppressing an angry growl. His eyebrows furrowed and his jaw clenched, and I knew that it still bothered him.

I was shocked. Aubree wasn't the nicest girlfriend, but I never pictured her to be a cheater. Besides, who would cheat on Zach? He may not have been super nice to me, but to everyone else, he was a great catch.

"Zach, I'm so sorry. That's awful." As weird as it should have been to comfort him, it almost felt normal. After all, we were still friends—sorta—and I didn't want any harm to come to him.

He shrugged. "It's whatever. It's done, it's over, and I've moved on," he snapped at me with finality as if to say the conversation was over, too.

I nodded, feeling extremely awkward. A tense silence washed over us as we continued towards the boys' locker room, and I wondered if all of this was really worth a ride home. Walking wouldn't be that bad, and Lord knows I needed the exercise. So why was I going to all this trouble? Clearly Zach would rather have all his teeth pulled without anesthesia than do me a favor.

When we reached the locker rooms, I had expected him to slip inside without a second thought, but instead he stopped outside the door and let out a long sigh. Turning to me with a pained look on his face, he said, "Look, I'm sorry. She just… Ugh, she just gets under my skin."

"And here I thought that was my job."

"Trust me, I'd much rather it be you than her."

We met each other's gaze and just stared, both taking in his words. The look on Zach's face said he hadn't known he was going to say them until he did, and a slight blush crept up his neck. A different kind of awkwardness filled the space between us. This time due to the unexpected compliment and the way it made my stomach flutter.

The way he was looking at me didn't help. It was a look I hadn't seen from him in years, but one I've dreamt about every night. I was reminded of what I'd thought about almost a week back—that maybe Zach didn't hate me like he pretended to. The spark between us that had been growing over the past few weeks was proof of that.

If there was ever a time to ask, this would be it.

I opened my mouth to speak, but I was quickly cut off.

Nervously, Zach stammered, "Well, uh, I better get going."

He avoided my eyes, focusing on anything but my face, a look of regret washing over him. "Yeah," I quietly agreed, feeling foolish. "I'll just wait in the bleachers, I guess."

He nodded, and then just stood there. Again, the spark was back when he locked eyes with me, but he quickly turned away again, mumbling a swift, "Okay, bye," before ducking into the locker room and letting the door slam behind him.

::*::*::*::

Sitting at the top of the bleachers, I worked on the homework assignments I shouldn't have had considering it was the first day, but did have because of all my AP classes. I had just finished a question on my math worksheet when someone stopped in front of me on the metal steps, blocking me from the sun's heat and casting a shadow over my paper.

I looked up to see the modelesque face of Lucas Grey looking down at me and smiling. "Hey, Cammie," he said smoothly.

"Oh. Hey, Lucas," I replied, sounding every bit of surprised as I felt. He was the last person I expected to see after he never called. I figured he realized I wasn't worth the effort of dealing with my asshole friends, but here he was, smiling and looking at me the same way he had that night.

Rubbing the back of his neck and laughing awkwardly, he said, "Listen, I'm sorry I never called. I wanted to, but I guess I was a little nervous after what happened."

"Oh, that's okay," I told him, and I meant it. Lucas was a great guy with an amazing smile and an incredible ability to make someone feel special, but when he didn't call, I realized he wasn't the guy I wanted. But _that_ guy may or may not hate me, and _this_ guy was practically perfect. Maybe I shouldn't burn the bridge just yet?

"But you wanted to call me?" I asked, sounding hopeful. If I was to go out with Lucas, I could finally get over Zach—something I've been trying to do for years now.

With a smile, Lucas answered, "Hopefully I still can? And maybe ask you out when I do?" He bit his bottom lip, which I had to admit was really attractive.

"And maybe I'll say yes," I told him, finishing with a wink.

His laugh was naturally rich and very pleasant to listen to, which made me smile.

"Cool. I'll see you later," he said, still smiling as he turned to go back down the bleachers and join the rest of the soccer team out on the field.

And I couldn't help but feel a tad giddy at scoring a date with the most well-liked guy in school, even if that guy wasn't Zach Goode.

::*::*::*::

 _ **{Zach}**_

When I walked out of the locker room, my eyes immediately scanned the stadium bleachers for Cammie, a sense of anger running through my blood at the sight of her talking to fucking _Lucas Grey_. Not once in my entire time here at Roseville High had I given Lucas a second thought, and now it was like the guy was public enemy number one. He was fucking _everywhere_.

Everywhere Cammie was, at least, which didn't make me any happier.

I wasn't proud of how I handled my jealousy at Hannah's party, and unfortunately, this time around I didn't handle it any better. The jealousy paired with the rage from mine and Aubree's conversation took over and I was a hurricane just ready to destroy everything in its path. Throughout practice, any chance I got to "accidently" bump, hit, elbow, or kick him, I took it. The punk was going to be sporting a nice bruise on his shin for the next week after I got him twice when trying to steal the ball out from under his feet.

Okay, maybe I was a little proud of what I'd done.

Finally, Ryan, who was our team captain, announced practice was over. I headed towards the bench and grabbed a towel out of my duffle bag to wipe the sweat off my face, glancing up at Cammie to see she was packing up her books. I mimicked her and stuffed my own belongings into my bag, and as I did, I overheard that punk and his friend talking behind me.

"I saw you talking to Cammie before practice," Noah Winters, our goalie, told him.

"Yeah, I had to do major damage control," Lucas explained, sounding slightly annoyed.

Chuckling, Noah asked, "What'd you do this time?"

Lucas returned with his own chuckle. "I hit on her at Hannah Brandt's party last week and promised to call her, but I never did."

 _Fucking idiot._ He probably just blew his chances with her by not calling. Although that made me happy, the thought of Cammie waiting for a call that never came pulled at my heart.

"Dude, I bet she was mad."

"Nah, she was cool about it. Of course, I lied and said I was too nervous to call her," Lucas said, laughing like he was proud of himself. "She totally bought it, man. The poor girl is so naïve that she _still_ wants to go out with me after I ignored her for a week."

I barely resisted the urge to hit the asshole. If Cammie ever found out what Lucas was saying, she'd be crushed. I needed to ignore whatever Neanderthal response was pleading to break free so I wouldn't cause a big scene.

I still wanted to beat the shit out of him, though.

"Dude, does she know about you and Alexa the other night?"

"Are you kidding me? Cammie's clueless! I bet she thinks I actually like her like Alexa did. Man, I love dumb virgins who believe anything you tell them."

Without even thinking, I snapped around and punched Lucas right in the face, smashing my fist into his mouth.

His head snapped back from the force of my hand. He reached up to his lip only to find it split open and bleeding. "What the hell, Zach?!" he yelled, wiping away the blood with the back of his hand.

I stepped closer so that I was right in his face, but Ryan and Jonas each grabbed an arm and pulled me back. Like that was going to stop me. "Don't you ever talk about Cammie like that. And don't ever fucking touch her, you got it?" I warned him with a voice gone lethal. I'm sure my eyes were just as deadly as I pinned him with my stare, daring him to disobey me.

"Or what?" he challenged, refusing to back down.

I was about to lay into him again when Cammie's scream interrupted.

"Zach!" She ran down the bleachers as fast and as carefully as she could.

 _Oh, shit._

She was furious. Stomping down the steps, her flip flops slapping against the metal like pissed off little penguin feet, she glared at me with such horror that I almost felt bad for hitting Lucas.

Almost.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she snapped, her eyes flashing pure anger.

"Cammie, please don't tell me you actually agreed to going out with this asshole?" I asked her, my voice begging for it not to be true.

"Oh my god, seriously? _That's_ why you punched him?" she asked in disgust. Note to self: Cammie doesn't like violence, even if it's in her honor.

"I punched him because he was talking shit about you," I corrected her.

I was hoping to reveal how big of a douche the guy was, but Lucas wasn't going down without a fight.

" _I_ was talking shit? _You're_ the one who's always complaining about her to your friends," he argued, dragging my name through the mud like I had done his.

I hated that it was true, but Cammie knew (or at least she thought she knew) that I hated her, so I was hoping she wouldn't take it to heart too much. What I really cared about was that she got to see who Lucas really was, and she'd stay away from him for good.

"And you're the one calling her a dumb virgin who believes everything you say," I barked back, throwing his words in his face for everyone else to hear.

Cammie's face softened and she turned to Lucas, her eyes practically begging for an explanation.

He knew he was in trouble. He was backed into a corner, and it was obvious that he was struggling to come up with anything sensible. "Obviously he's lying, Cammie," he started, his voice higher than normal. "Why would I say that? I _like_ you. A lot!" He was drowning and he knew it.

And that made me smile.

"Don't tell me you actually believe him?" Lucas begged, sounding disgusted.

But it was too late. Cammie was already pissed and no longer cared about what he had to say for himself. With a humorless chuckle and a shrug, she told him, "Yeah. Actually, I do. I guess I don't believe everything you tell me after all."

She pushed through Ryan and I, not seeming to even care that the entire soccer team had just watched the whole thing go down.

I gave Lucas one last grin before taking off after her.

Lucas was calling for her to stop, but she ignored him and continued out of the stadium and towards the parking lot.

"Cammie, if you'll give me, like, five minutes, I'll—"

"Don't talk to me," she said, her voice abnormally weak. "I'll find my own way home."

Hearing sadness instead of anger stopped me in my tracks, and I watched as the girl I cared so deeply about wipe tears from her cheeks and wrap her arms around her frail body, quietly sobbing as she walked away alone.

* * *

 _Hey everyone!_

 _So, I ended up writing this chapter twice because the first time around, I didn't like it AT ALL. I'm still kind of bothered by this version, too, but simply because there was a lot of content and I was trying to keep the word count as low as possible, so it's kind of sloppy. But I like it nonetheless._

 _I don't know who all checked out the poll question I had on my profile, but it was about what sport Zach, Ryan, and Jonas should play. There was a tie between American football and soccer, so I went with soccer (:_

 _Okay, I know you're all waiting for the kiss...but you're going to have to wait a tad longer. It's coming soon, though, I swear! And when it does, I promise you're all going to love it! (:_

 _Alright, that's it for this chapter. Leave a review and let me know your thoughts! Thanks again guys for your support. Any review, no matter how short or how long, reminds me of why I'm writing this story and gives me motivation to keep going. The writers on fanfiction write to make the readers happy, and if we don't know if we're doing our job, it's hard to keep writing. But you guys have been so amazing, I can't thank you enough! You're all awesome (: and you chose the best fandom to be a part of, so there's that :P_


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter Five_

 _ **{Cammie}**_

Laughter drifted up to me as I walked down the stairs to Ryan's basement where the ten of us always seemed to hang out, one voice standing out from the others. _Great._ Zach was here. I didn't know how much more of him I could handle. Ever since the scene on the soccer field three days ago, I've been completely avoiding him. In fact, this was going to be the first time I've even seen him since then. Tonight was going to be interesting, that's for sure.

When I reached the bottom of the steps, I saw that I was the last of us to arrive for our movie night.

"Cam, you're late," Bex announced from one of the couches that sat in front of the large, movie-theater-screen-sized TV.

Considering Liz was still sitting on the floor, rummaging through all the DVD's and deciding what movie to watch, I wasn't too worried about how late I was.

I made my way over to the couches where the girls sat, passing a pathetic game of pool from Grant, Ryan, Declan, and Zach.

Zach was leaning over the edge of the table, aiming his pool stick at the cue ball when he spotted me, his mouth narrowing into a frown. I guess the bad blood ran both ways. Nothing new there.

I ignored him and continued towards the girls, sitting down beside Bex in a huff.

Without looking up from the collection of DVD's, Liz asked, "How long do you think their game is gonna last?"

"Who knows," Hannah answered, rolling her eyes. "It's already been, like, an hour."

"You'd think guys who play pool almost every day would be better at it," Macey scoffed.

Sitting down next to me with a bowl of freshly popped popcorn in his hands, Jonas laughed. "Only if they're smart enough to figure it out."

From behind, I heard a string of cuss words escape Zach's mouth as he complained about missing the pocket again, and I had to stifle a laugh.

Liz squealed excitedly as she stood up, waiving a DVD in the air. "Movie time!" she announced, popping in the disk before settling in next to Jonas.

"What are we watching, Lizzie?" Ryan asked as he rounded the couch and sat down in the chair next to it, apparently abandoning the pool game that had been going nowhere to begin with.

" _Life as We Know It_ ," she exclaimed proudly.

Zach groaned in complaint. "Not another chick-flick."

"You're free to go if you want. No one's stopping you," I told him, silently hoping he'd take me up on my suggestion and leave.

"And miss watching you ugly cry at the horribly sappy ending?" he asked, mocking me as he slid into another chair opposite from Ryan's. "Not a chance." For a moment, he winced at his own words, and I couldn't help but assume it was because he saw me crying when I left the soccer field the last time we spoke. Damn it, I'd really been hoping he hadn't witnessed that.

"You only think it's sappy because you're heartless and don't have a romantic bone in your body," I told him, pretending to have not seen his cringe.

"What do you know about romance?" he asked, laughing, "You haven't had a date since sophomore year, and the one date you _did_ have, you managed to blow."

"Okay, guys. Enough," Bex scolded as the opening credits appeared on the screen. "The movie's starting."

I ignored her and the others as they shushed us. I'd only been here for five minutes and I was already annoyed with Zach. I wasn't going to let him mock me and get away with it. "All of that was because of you," I snarled at him. "Not only did you ruin my date with Brad, but you prevented anyone else from asking me out for _years_. And then when someone does, you punch them in the face."

"I'm sorry that I was just looking out for you," he said, his voice drenched in sarcasm and not sounding the least bit sorry.

"Because ' _no one wants to see you get hurt by some jackass, Cammie_ ,'" I mocked him, using his own bullshit words from the night of Hannah's party.

"Exactly."

"Well, I never asked you to look out for me." Like what he was doing was him truly looking out for me anyway. His intentions were probably to ruin my life—not protect it.

"Fine, I'll stop," he said with a huff, leaning back in his chair as if he was over the conversation. "But when some scumbag like Lucas takes advantage of you, don't come crying to me."

"Not every guy is an insensitive asshole like you and Lucas!"

Macey gasped as she turned around to glare at me from the floor. "Cam!"

"What? He started it." Ever since I rejected his offer when he first arrived in Roseville, he had been nothing but a nuisance, trying to get his revenge and ruin my life. He mocked me, played "harmless" pranks on me that more often than not ended up going too far, and he always— _always_ —took any chance he had to remind me that he couldn't care less about me. Now, all of a sudden, he's trying to say that he's there for me and wants to keep me safe? Please. He's hated me from the beginning, and he made that pretty clear on numerous occasions. Of course he freaking started this war between us.

"How? How the hell did I start it?" he suddenly screamed at me, obviously more pissed than he'd been leading on. Leaning forward in his chair again, his jaw tense with frustration, he looked right at me. "By trying to protect you like these guys do? By caring about you? Or simply by moving to this town and _imposing_ on your life?"

"All I'm saying is my life was great before you showed up," I snapped.

Everyone grew silent as they exchanged glances with one another. I knew I hit a nerve, and I instantly regretted saying the words. Zach's glare turned from stone cold to freezing, and if looks could kill, I'd be six-feet under. I couldn't have pissed him off more if I'd tried. He stood up without a word and stormed off, pounding up the stairs and slamming the basement door.

If I was wrong before…if he _didn't_ actually hate me…he sure did now.

 _ **{Zach}**_

I hated her. I officially hated Cammie Morgan. How could she say those things to me? She compared me to Lucas. _Lucas fucking Grey_ , the equivalent to the scum of the earth. I knew she wasn't fond of me, but I never thought she'd put me on the same level as him. And to top it off, she actually wished I'd never shown up in her life. What a freaking bitch.

Once upstairs and away from _her_ , I could breathe a little easier. I went over to the fridge and took out a can of Pepsi, needing something— _anything_ —to distract me from our fight.

I hadn't even been alone for five minutes when I heard footsteps making their way up the basement stairs. A small part of me hoped it was Cammie, but a bigger part of me hoped it was anyone but.

That part was disappointed.

Of course Cammie followed me. She never was one to leave things unresolved, though that never seemed to bother her when it came to me until now.

She stopped in the doorway at the top of the stairs, her uneasy gaze frozen on where I stood. She waited a beat too long before closing the door behind her and entering the kitchen in silence.

Neither of us spoke right away. I had nothing to say to her. But the awkward silence was filled with all the things we never said, and I could feel her nerves in the empty space between us. It was too much, and I prayed that she would say something soon.

As I took a sip from my drink, she looked my way, but managed to avoid looking at me directly. Instead, her eyes were trained on the can in my hand. "Funny," she started, her voice sounding louder than it probably was due to the silence that had previously engulfed us. "I always thought you were a Coke kind of guy."

I finished my swig and continued to stare at her. That's what she wanted to talk about? My drinking preferences?

When she realized I wasn't going to respond, she continued to babble the way she always did when she was nervous. "But then again, what do I know? We've spent the last three years avoiding each other."

I sensed there was some sadness to her tone, but I wasn't about to read into anything.

Finally, she looked at me, her eyes roaming up and down my body. The extent of her nervousness was abundantly clear, and my stomach twisted into a knot.

This was it. The conversation we had avoided for far too long.

We almost had this conversation the last time we talked, standing in front of the boys' locker room before my soccer practice. But I was too worked up about Aubree to have that kind of conversation. And maybe I was scared of what would be said, and I chickened out.

"Look, there's so much I could say to you," she started, sounding exhausted already. She pulled in a deep breath, then huffed it out in a long sigh. "But I'm pretty sure you hate me right now and I hate _that_ so… Ugh, Zach, I just…I don't…" She sighed again, obviously frustrated that she didn't know what to say or how to say it. She slumped against the kitchen's island with her face in her hands, defeated.

I took another sip of my Pepsi, then, clearing my throat, I said, "You're right."

She looked up at me with sorrow in her big blue eyes. Jeez, only Cammie could make looking sad so damn beautiful.

"I am a Coke kind of guy," I told her. Relief washed over her face before she cracked a small smile. "But Ryan's mom only drinks Pepsi, so…" I shrugged and lifted the can again to take another drink.

She nodded, then she started to laugh as she obviously felt more relieved.

And stupid me loved the sound of her laugh, so I cracked a smile despite trying to force it down.

When her giggles died off, she turned serious again. "I'm sorry," she said. "You are _nothing_ like Lucas. That was… a low blow. And of course I'm happy you're a part of my life. You're one of my best friends, even if you are near the bottom of the list."

She was joking. I knew that. But I still couldn't stop myself from asking, "Near the bottom or at the bottom?"

"Near. You're number eight. Right above Declan."

This time, I chuckled. Knowing she didn't like Declan as much as I didn't like him for some reason made me smile.

"Even though I ruin your life and chase away potential boyfriends? Like Lucas?" It had been three days since the incident on the soccer field, and yet, I still growled when I said his name.

"Lucas was an ass. I know that now," she exclaimed. I hated hearing the anguish in her voice. It reminded me of how I failed to protect her. That, I could never forgive myself for.

"Did you actually want to date him?" I asked, not wanting to hear her response, but knowing I needed to.

"Not really."

"But were you going to anyway? You know, before all that happened?"

She shrugged. "Probably."

I clenched my jaw in irritation. God, I hated Lucas for almost getting the girl even when she didn't want him. Not trusting myself with words, I silently nodded my head once so at least she knew I heard her. I took a drink of my Pepsi, wishing it was something stronger to help me through this conversation. When I went to take another sip, Cammie placed her hand on my arm and I stopped.

"Ask me why," she said, challenging me with her eyes.

I shook my head. "Cam, I really don't want to know—"

"Ask me why, Zach."

I dug the heels of my palms into my eyes and groaned, pissed at myself for what I was about to do. "Why?"

"Because the guy I really want, the one I can't seem to get out of my head, has spent the past three years hating me because I wouldn't break my promise to his cousin."

My hands fell away from my face and I gaped at her, completely stunned. _What?_

"Screwed up, right?" she asked, taking the soda can out of my hand. "I mean, it's practically your life goal to make my life miserable, and here I am obsessed with the idea of kissing you." She spoke so calmly, as if what she was saying wasn't the biggest, most shocking confession _ever_.

She took a mouthful of my drink while she waited for me to recover, swallowing the dark liquid with a scrunched up face. "Ew, you're right. Coke is way better," she told me, placing the Pepsi can back in front of me.

How the hell could she be so calm right now, talking about Coke and Pepsi?

"What, uh… I mean, how—"

"I have a better question for you," she interrupted. She strolled around the island, running her delicate fingers along the smoothness of the granite. An image of her doing the same to my bare chest with lazy bedroom eyes popped into my head. Fuck, stupid teenage hormones.

Cammie stopped right in front of me, too close if I was going to control myself and refrain from touching her. I could feel the heat from her body radiating off her, that's how close she was. Her hair was down, so when she tipped her head back to look up at me, it fell around her shoulders, all wavy and sexy. She pressed a hand to my chest, flexing her fingers into the cotton of my t-shirt for the briefest of moments.

I tensed at the pressure. My gaze drifted down to where she touched me, then back up to her face, my eyes zeroing in on her lips. Desperate desire flooded through me, and by the look of recognition in her eyes, Cammie knew it.

"You feel it, too. Don't you?" she finally asked.

Did I feel the crazy chemistry and sexual tension that sparked between us whenever we were even remotely close to one another? Hell yeah, I did. I'd felt it ever since the first time we met and every other encounter we'd shared since, _especially_ this past week and a half. That's why I tried so hard to avoid being close to her and why I tended to push her away.

But the pull was too strong this time to ignore my instinctual yearning.

I reached out and grabbed her waist, my hands moving of their own accord. When my fingers grazed her skin, it sent chills through my body, just like I always imagined it would. Sure, we've touched before—an occasional hug, or a tug of her hair, or a swift punch to the arm—but never so…intimately. And as amazing as my imagination built it up to be, the real thing was so much better. I pulled her flush against me, her eyes going wide with surprise.

"You want to kiss me right now, don't you?" she asked with a hint of a smile on her lips.

I groaned at her words. "This is a bad idea, Cammie." When I spoke my voice was rough with longing, my gaze never leaving her lips and what I wanted so badly.

"And you think going on like we have been is any better?" she argued. "You and I have unfinished business, Zach, and it's making every interaction we have together too damn awkward. I say we do something about it."

"What about Macey? Wasn't she the reason this didn't happen in the first place?" I asked, motioning between the two of us.

"She'll never know," Cammie promised. "It's just one kiss. To finally calm this tension between us so we can stop arguing and fighting all the time. Maybe we'll even become real friends and you'll be higher than number eight on my list."

I couldn't believe after all these years, Cammie Morgan was actually trying to convince me to kiss her. It was like a dream, one I've had over and over again but never expected to come true.

"It's just one kiss, Zach," she repeated, her lips a hairsbreadth away from mine.

I shouldn't. I _really_ shouldn't. But, damn, did I want to kiss her more than anything.

 _Don't do it, man. You know this won't end well. Think about your promise to Macey. She'll_ kill _you if she finds out you kissed her best friend. What if someone comes upstairs and catches you? Come on, man. Be strong. Don't do it!_

My mind warned me to stop, finding any excuse to prevent me from leaning in and taking her lips in mine.

But I didn't listen.

I took a deep breath, leaned in, and kissed her.

She pushed up on her toes to meet me, tangling her hands in the hair at the nape of my neck. I backed her up against the island, towering over her and crushing her body underneath mine. Tugging at my hair, she pulled me closer to her. We stayed like that for a few minutes, connected by our lips and our limbs completely tangled up within each other, before she pulled back, breathing heavily.

I let go of her body and braced myself on the edge of the counter, backing up a bit to put some space between us. We stared at each other, satisfaction and want still in our eyes. The whole time I watched her, I kept repeating to myself, _it's just one kiss. It's just one kiss._

But that was such a lie. Whatever this was between us—whatever we had just ignited without meaning to—didn't end here. We definitely weren't going to be able to be around each other now any more than before. In fact, I had a feeling it was going to be a lot harder.

Because whatever this was, whatever we were, whatever we just did…it was way more than just one kiss.

* * *

 _The moment you all have waited for has arrived! I hope it met your expectations considering when I planned this story out, this was supposed to happen two chapters ago... sorry to make you wait so long lol._

 _Wow, you guys are seriously the best readers I've ever had. You all are so incredibly supportive. I honestly can't thank you guys enough for all the encouragement and confidence you give me to continue writing, but I certainly will try! FYI, some of my favorite reviews are just you guys talking about how evil Lucas is, or how cute it is that the guys take it upon themselves to protect Cammie... they don't always have to be about how great of a writer I am. In fact, when you talk more about the story instead of me, it gives me more encouragement. I'm trilled you think I'm a good writer, but I want to hear your thoughts on the STORY. That's why I'm writing this for you guys- not to prove I can write or anything pretentious like that._

 _So with that being said, a big huge, awesome thanks to everyone giving this story its momentum. Without you, I wouldn't be writing this fanfic lol. Stay awesome, Gallagher Girls fanfictioners!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter Six_

 _ **{Cammie}**_

Even though I had all weekend to prepare myself for school and the inevitable crossing paths with Zach, when Monday rolled around, I was anything but ready. My nerves were going haywire, and my fight-or-flight system was definitely ready to pick flight at any given moment.

I knew I was being paranoid (I mean, chances were that Zach was probably avoiding me, too, so I didn't have to worry about him initiating some kind of contact), but I still couldn't stop myself from looking over my shoulder every five seconds while at my locker. My mind must've been solely focused on looking for the mess of his brown hair, because I completely missed Liz who now stood in front of me.

"Hey, there! How was the weekend in the Morgan household?" she asked, too peppy for an early Monday morning.

"It was like any other weekend," I told her, a faint smile on my lips. She might've been unreasonably enthusiastic, but that was what I loved most about Liz—she was always optimistic. "How was yours, Liz?"

"Well, I finished my homework for the week and an extra credit assignment for Dr. Fibbs—"

"Of course you did."

"—so, mine was great!" she finished like I hadn't even spoken.

I smiled and shook my head. How someone could love homework that much was beyond me.

For the fifteenth time that morning, I looked over my shoulder and down the hall, praying that Zach had enough sense to skip school today like I was wishing I had.

That's when I saw Lucas scurrying down the hallway towards Liz and me, his eyes pinned on me like a vulture's.

"Oh, crap," I mumbled. "Liz, we have to go."

"What? Why?" she asked, confused and concerned.

"Lucas is heading this way," I told her, grabbing her arm and tugging it in the opposite direction from the boy who was quickly closing in on us. "Come on, let's go to class," I begged her.

Thankfully, she didn't argue. It wasn't until we were inside our first period classroom that she spoke.

"Cammie, if he's still trying to talk to you after this long, I think it's best you hear him out."

 _Um, what?_ Was she absolutely crazy? I wasn't going to _hear him out_. He humiliated me in front of the entire soccer team…including Zach! In fact, if it wasn't for Zach punching him in the face, I probably would've gone out with Lucas and fallen into his trap like some Alexa chick had, and then the whole school would know how naïve and stupid I was. No, I was definitely not going to _hear him out_. There was nothing that he could say that would change my mind about how disgusting he was.

"Liz, he only pretended to like me to get in my pants," I explained, repulsion etched into my face and drenching my words.

"To be fair, that's just Zach's side of the story," she argued.

 _That's just Zach's side of the story_. Her words replayed over and over again in my head. But Zach wouldn't lie to me, right? I mean, we weren't exactly friends, but we've never given the other a reason to lie or to be accused of lying. Actually, besides the whole attraction-slash-hatred thing we had going, he's been the most honest guy in our group. So he definitely wasn't lying about Lucas…right?

As if reading the confusion on my face, Liz shrugged and added, "Just saying."

"What are you just saying?" Bex asked as she sat down next to us.

"Liz thinks I should talk to Lucas," I told her with a roll of my eyes.

"You should," she agreed, her voice nonchalant like she hadn't just told me to talk to the devil.

I gaped at her, my mouth dropping to my chest and my eyes growing wide. " _What?_ " Of all people, I thought Bex would be the one telling me to stay away. I also thought that, by now, she'd have asked for permission to tie him up by his feet and take a bat to him like a piñata.

She smiled cunningly. "You should definitely talk to him, and cuss his ass out when you do." Okay, now that sounded more like Bex.

"Bex, no, I—"

"He's scum, Cammie. The jackass needs to know that," she told me, ignoring my protests.

"If I show him any emotion on the matter, it'll only be more humiliating," I began. "He doesn't care about me or about what he did. Manipulating girls is all a game to him. If he doesn't care about it, then why should I? I'm just going to pretend he doesn't exist and move on."

With a shrug, Bex dropped the subject, and Liz was quick to follow.

"Aw, what's with the long faces?"

I glanced up to see Tina Walters sitting down beside Liz, her eyes taking in all our sour expressions.

"It's nothing," Liz answered, waving the negativity away with her hand. With her voice cheery again, she smiled and asked, "So, Tina, what's the latest juice?"

Tina was the school's biggest gossip, even though a lot of her rumors were simply that with not a lot of evidence behind them. If you wanted actual facts, Macey was the one to go to, but Tina did manage to always have some interesting stories.

She flipped her gorgeous blonde hair over her shoulder and chuckled. "Well, Mrs. Thomas gave birth to her baby boy Saturday morning. Ben Morris got pulled over for a DUI last night. Oh, and your homeboy and his ex might've gotten back together recently." She finished with a sly smile, obviously proud of the last rumor she uncovered.

I, on the other hand, was not so ecstatic about it. Although she didn't mention names, I knew exactly who she was talking about.

"Who? Zach and Aubree?" Bex clarified. The look on her face was a mixture of shock and disgust, the same feeling I had in my stomach just thinking about it.

There was _no way_ Zach would get back together with Aubree after she cheated on him. He made that pretty clear when he was absolutely livid after talking with her the first day of school. Tina must've been talking about someone else.

But she smiled proudly at Bex and nodded, confirming that they were exactly who she was talking about. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.

"They were seen together after school last week in _their spot_. And rumor has it, they talked over the weekend about giving it another go. She was at his locker this morning, so I can only assume they're on again," Tina explained, oblivious to me digging my fingernails into my palms to keep my mouth shut.

I swallowed down the anger and forced myself to unclench my fists. After all, it wasn't Tina's fault. She was just the messenger, and as badly as I wanted to punch someone, you should never shoot the messenger.

The one thing I couldn't suppress was the bitter jealousy. After everything Aubree did to Zach, he still wanted to be with her. I couldn't blame him, really. She was beautiful and, for some reason, everyone at school loved her. How could I compete with that?

I was being ridiculous. There was no competition between us, because Zach and I were never going to be together. So what if we had crazy chemistry and a mutual attraction? We had spent our entire relationship pushing each other away with pity fights, hurtful words, and closed walls. Why would he even want to be with me when all I've done was irritated the hell out of him?

I was beginning to regret suggesting that we solve our issues with a kiss. Clearly, that only made things worse. Before, I was simply jealous of Aubree because Zach wanted her. Now, I'm actually hurt that he wanted _her_ over _me_.

I had no ties on Zach—no control over what or who he did—and I couldn't stop him from being with Aubree if she was what made him happy.

By now, I should be used to setting aside my own feelings for those of others. After all, I'd been doing it for the last three years…

::*::*::*::

 _ **{Zach}**_

The day couldn't have gone any slower if it tried. By the time school was over, it felt like five years had passed. I was relieved when practice had finally started and I could release all of this pent up aggression I had been holding back all weekend. Word of advice for you guys out there crushing on a girl you shouldn't even be thinking about because she's your cousin's best friend and you promised you would never hook up with her: don't kiss her. _Ever_. Trust me, it only makes things more complicated.

I was running our usual mile around the track for the soccer team's warm-up at an unusual fast pace when Ryan managed to catch up to me. Letting out a long, low whistle, he shook his head. "Man, you really fucked up."

I panicked at his words. Since Cammie had been the only thing on my mind for the past three days, my brain reliving the way it felt to hold her against me and how soft her lips were as they pressed against mine with rough determination, I assumed that was what he was referring to. And if that was the case, my ass was in deep shit.

"What? Why do you say that?" I asked, praying he couldn't tell how freaked out I was.

With a laugh, he answered, "Aubree told Kaitlynn and Jessica that you took her back, only to sleep with her and dump her right after."

" _What?_ " I shook my head, baffled by the fact that Aubree deliberately lied to make me look like an asshole. "No, man. That never happened. She wanted to get back together but I told her no, and that was it."

Ryan laughed again. "Dude, I know. _That's_ where you fucked up." Noticing my confusion, he continued, "Come on, you know how Aubree can be. Saying no to her was the dumbest thing you've ever done."

"Are you saying I should've said _yes_? After what she did to me?" I asked in horror. The boys were the only ones who knew what went down between Aubree and I back in May and how hard I took her betrayal, so to hear Ryan say I should've taken her back honestly almost felt like a stab in the back.

He rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated sigh like he was speaking to a child that just didn't understand the way of the world. "You know she only wants to get back with you because she wants the final word. The relationship would last, like, three weeks, she'd break up with you, and then you'd be free forever. Otherwise, you're gonna have to deal with her and her conniving ways until you leave for college. Sounds like an easy decision to me."

I never thought of it that way. He was right. After calling me a hundred times over the weekend begging me to take her back, she showed up at my house and tried to show me just what I'd been _"missing"_ since we'd broken up…and then she started that rumor that I had screwed her and dumped her, all because I said no. Who knows what else she'll do if I keep rejecting her…

But if I did get back together with Aubree, then what would that mean for Cammie and I? If I got back together with Aubree just days after kissing Cammie, she'd be crushed. Especially since we kissed just days after Lucas humiliated her by playing her! I couldn't do that to her. I spent the last three years hurting her—I wasn't going to do it anymore.

 _Fuck, you know she doesn't care what you do, man._ The kiss was just a one-time thing. She wasn't expecting us to date, or be together, or for it to even happen again. I was being ridiculous thinking that Cammie would care if I dated Aubree again. If anything, maybe she'd be happy for me? Or at least happy that she didn't have to worry about me catching feelings for her. Whatever the case, maybe being with Aubree was the smartest move for me?

"Hey, are you still going camping with us this weekend?" Ryan asked, breaking through my stupor.

I had completely forgot about it, to be honest. But I knew that Cammie was going to be there and, although seeing her again made me excited, it made me even more nervous. "Um, I don't know. I don't think—"

"Oh, come on, Zach. It's tradition!" he exclaimed with a groan. "You can't cancel on us again after bailing on us all weekend."

"I didn't bail on anyone," I lied. Truth was, I had kind of been avoiding hanging out with any of our friends over the weekend in case Cammie was among them. But I was never going to actually admit that.

"We had plans to go to that concert on Saturday and play some football on Sunday, but you were MIA ever since our movie night Friday," he argued. " _That's_ bailing."

I didn't have a reasonable response, so I just stayed quiet. He was right, after all, and I wasn't about to be caught in a lie and make myself look suspicious of anything.

"You know, it's kind of funny…Cammie was ditching us all over the place, too." He lifted a brow at me, as if to ask if I knew anything about it.

I cleared my throat, feeling as transparent as a window with the way he was watching me. "Well, I can't speak for Cammie, but I definitely wasn't ditching you guys. I was just…busy," I lied again, looking away and hoping Ryan somehow lost his ability to be perceptive. The kid was observant and aware of everything, which was _really_ bad for me, at this point.

"So, that means you're going camping with us?"

"Of course."

"Even if Cammie's going?" He raised his brow again, and I had a feeling that maybe he was onto us. Was it possible that Ryan found out about our kiss? Maybe he had cameras inside his house and saw us in his kitchen? God, I hoped that wasn't the case. Nothing's more embarrassing than being caught on camera.

I shook my head to erase that line of thinking. Ryan was a straight-forward guy. He'd tell me if he knew anything about Cammie and me, especially because it was _Cammie_ and _me_ —the two who couldn't stand to be around each other. Believe me, if anyone found out, they'd be begging to get some answers as to how the hell we ended up making out in Ryan's kitchen.

With that relief, I was actually able to muster up a convincing fake laugh. "I've tolerated her for this long. I'm sure I can handle a weekend," I told him.

He chuckled and shook his head, but otherwise remained silent.

Which only made me more paranoid that maybe he did know something he wasn't telling me…

* * *

 _Sorry it took me a little longer than usual to get this posted. I was a tad busy... But hey, it's here! And I know it wasn't super exciting, but everything I write has a purpose lol. I'll try to update quicker next time._

 _Okay, random request, but I've finished just about every book in the universe that's interested me (at least that's what it seems like lol), so if you have a favorite book or have read something interesting recently, PLEASE send me the titles of them! I'm constantly reading and now that I don't have anything good to read, I'm like a lost puppy. Help is appreciated!_

 _Thank you to all my readers. Y'all are awesome! And your reviews have me laughing and smiling like an idiot. I'm glad you guys liked the kiss and are excited to see what happens from here. This chapter was just to show you how it's got Cammie and Zach confused more than ever, but we'll see how they decide to handle it when they go camping (; Make sure to leave a review! Thanks again (:_


	7. Chapter 7

_I apologize in advance for the length of this chapter since it's over 5,000 words...but that just means there's more to love :D_

* * *

 _Chapter Seven_

 _ **{Cammie}**_

"We're here," Hannah exclaimed, smiling wildly as she pulled her Jeep into a gravel parking lot by a romantic brook. She cut the engine once she was parked between Grant's BMW and Ryan's Audi, and we all filed out. Finally, after a long, two-hour drive with most of it spent driving down a dirt road that lead us to the middle of nowhere, we had arrived at the spot our group was going camping.

"Well, I see the boys' cars, but no boys," Liz observed, a confused look crossing her face.

"That's because we have to hike a little to get there," Hannah explained as she began unloading our bags from the back.

Besides small groans from Macey, we silently followed Hannah as she lead us through the woods to a small clearing that was currently occupied by two tents and five teenaged boys.

My eyes instantly found Zach as he squatted in the dirt with his back to us as he worked on setting up a tent. I tried so hard to look away from the muscles in his back moving underneath his fitted t-shirt as he strung the poles through the fabric and nailed a stake into the ground, but if there was one thing I loved most about him, it was his muscles.

It was at that moment that Bex called out, "Hey, boys," as we continued towards them, and Zach glanced over his shoulder.

While the other boys waved and greeted us, Zach remained silent as his eyes locked with mine. It was the first time we had seen each other since we kissed a week ago, and all of those feelings of him crushing my body beneath his as he pressed me into the counter in Ryan's kitchen were suddenly too close to the surface. No doubt, my face was beat red from my fierce blush as heat crept up my neck, and yet I still couldn't look away. From the way his eyes skimmed down my body, pausing a beat too long on my naked legs before sliding back up to my face with temptation darkening the green of his irises, it was clear he couldn't look away from me either.

 _Oh, boy. It just got a hundred degrees hotter out here._

Before I could make a fool of myself by giving in to the gravitational pull he had on me, Hannah called my name and told me to help her put up the tent we'd be sharing for the night.

After all four tents were set up, Grant had mentioned he was hungry, so we all hiked back to the cars to grab the coolers holding the food and drinks, along with camping chairs to place around the fire despite there already being a couple logs to serve as benches.

The cooler I was unloading from Hannah's Jeep was a lot heavier than I thought, and I struggled a bit to keep my grip. I thought I was going to drop it as it slid from my grasp, but a pair of strong arms caught it before it fell completely.

"Here, I got it," Zach said gently as he lifted it out of my hands. The second I saw it was him who came to my rescue, I immediately let go of the cooler and took a step back, trying to avoid any physical contact with him.

Quietly, I thanked him, and a small smile spread across his face before he turned to scramble back to our campsite. He had more grace carrying the huge, heavy cooler than I did normally, and I found that everything he did now turned me on. The way he walked, the way his shirts were always snug enough to see every hard muscle of his body underneath them, the way his eyes danced with amusement whenever he gave that sexy smirk—all of it just made me want him more now that I'd had a taste.

How the hell was I going to keep this a secret from our friends? Macey was Gossip Queen and knew how to weasel out the information she wanted—if she caught me even thinking about her cousin, there was no way I could hide or deny it. And Ryan had always been very perceptive and noticed every little detail about everything and everyone—just one glance at the wrong time and he'd know about Zach and I. Damn, we really screwed this up…

By the time we got back to the campsite, it was starting to get dark, so Jonas and Grant began building a fire while the rest of us prepared the food. We speared hotdogs and marshmallows on sticks and cut up some potatoes to grill over the fire once the boys got it started.

"Hey, we should play truth or dare," Grant suggested after everyone had finished eating.

"What are we, twelve?" Liz asked, unamused by the proposition. The girls all agreed, me especially. There's one thing I've learned about playing truth or dare with your best friends—never play it if you have a secret. Your friends know you better than anyone in the world, and they're not afraid to ask the hard questions or give you the embarrassing dares. Truth or dare was the last game I wanted to be playing at that moment.

"You're all lame," Grant pouted, absentmindedly throwing a rock into the fire.

"You know, it actually kinda sounds fun," Macey said, offering an excited smile.

"Yeah. When was the last time we played?" Declan asked, wrapping his arm around Macey. He had a habit of doing that whenever he spoke. It was almost as if he knew no one liked him so he had to remind us that we kept him around because he was with her. Either that, or he thought she'd protect him from us. Either way, it was kind of pathetic.

"When we were twelve," Liz told him with as much attitude as someone like Liz could muster.

Macey glared at her for a second, which again made me think of her as Declan's shield, before turning back to the group. "Well, I'm in!" she exclaimed excitedly. Declan immediately agreed, as usual.

"Yes!" Grant bellowed, pumping a fist into the air.

After that, everyone slowly broke down, one-by-one agreeing to play.

Except for Liz and me. We were the last to announce our participation, which was why Grant slithered up next to me and threw his arm over my shoulder. "Come on, Cammie. You know you want to," he said with a crafty smile.

I sighed, and with a roll of my eyes, I reluctantly agreed.

Since Liz was outnumbered, she had no choice but to cave as well. "Fine, I'll play," she sighed. "But only if I can go first. And guess who my lucky victim is." She shot a sly smile at Grant, who beamed eagerly in response.

"Do your worst, Lizzie," he challenged, knowing that her worst was probably mild at best.

"Truth or dare, Grant," she asked, leaning forward in her seat and narrowing her eyes at him.

"Dare."

"I dare you to…jump over the fire," she taunted him, matching his smirk with one of her own.

Without hesitation, he leapt over the hot flames, doing his best impression of a ballerina twirl in the air. The game continued as he dared Bex to make him a s'more and ordered the marshmallow to be a golden brown, threatening to throw her into the brook by the cars if she even slightly burned it. While holding the marshmallow over the flame, Bex then dared Hannah to give her a back massage since her back was tightening up from holding the stick in the exact position Grant demanded. After choosing truth, Hannah then asked Ryan who was his favorite girl in the group, to which he answered she was with a flirtatious wink sent her way.

It was Ryan's turn to pick someone, and he cut a quick glance off to the side. When I followed his gaze, I found Zach avoiding his friend's look and staring into the dancing flames of the fire, an orange glow casting shadows across his somber face. He lifted his eyes to meet mine, looking as guilty as a puppy that destroyed the house while the owners were gone. Suddenly, I got a sickening feeling that our secret wasn't so secret after all.

To my relief, Ryan picked Macey instead, and when she chose dare, gone was the suspicious side-glancing at Zach and in its place sat a wicked smile. "I dare you to give Declan a lap dance."

A collective burst of laughter came from the guys, and even Bex and Hannah couldn't resist a small giggle.

"Ew. Grow up, Matthews," Macey told him with a snarl.

"Okay, okay," Ryan quieted down, "I dare you to kiss Bex."

This time, without complaint, Macey did as she was dared and stalked over to Bex, planting a quick kiss to her cheek.

"You're no fun," Ryan told her as she sat back down in Declan's lap, and she stuck her tongue out at him in response.

"Okay," she said, looking around the circle and trying to decide who she wanted to pick. Almost immediately, she trained her gaze on her cousin with an amused smile. "Zach," she said, making her voice sickly sweet. "Truth or dare?"

He took a second to think, then decided on truth.

"Truth it is." She flashed me a crazy look which only made my heart pound, especially since her lips now resembled those of the Cheshire cat. "Do you think Cam is pretty?"

My breath caught in my throat. I swallowed hard, wondering what on earth he was going to say—not because I wanted to know his answer, but because I was pretty sure it was _yes_ and telling our friends _that_ was just begging for trouble.

He was openly glaring at Macey, and his voice was strained a bit when he answered. "Obviously, she's—"

"You know what happens when you pick truth and you lie, don't you?" Macey interrupted.

"No. What?" he asked, obviously annoyed with her.

"You get hit in the balls," Grant finished, throwing another rock into the fire.

" _What?_ " Zach and I asked at the same time, causing Macey to laugh.

"That's bullshit," he demanded, and he definitely was _not_ laughing.

"Try me, cous," she shot at him. Then she secretly winked at me, as if this was all for my entertainment.

When he hesitated, everyone turned to him with a curious face. By now, my heart was hammering so hard that I could feel it everywhere and the air was sucked out of my lungs.

He looked at me briefly, then back at Macey and sighed. Crossing his arms in front of his chest and causing his muscles to pop out of his sleeves, he answered, "Well, she isn't ugly."

Just as before, the group busted out laughing like it was the funniest joke they've ever heard. For the past three years, they absolutely reveled in the fact that Zach and I couldn't stand each other, and now they loved the fact that even if he hates me, he still thinks I'm _not ugly_. Neither of us were ever going to live this down.

Sometimes I hated my friends.

The guys began to make jokes at Zach's expense, and at one point, he even cracked a smile.

And for some reason, that kind of made me feel giddy.

We continued to play for a few hours, and it was the most fun we've had as a whole group in a long time. Some of my favorite plays were when Macey dared Jonas to close his eyes and eat whatever she gave him (which ended up being a spoonful of hotdog relish) and then he puked it back up, when I was dared to make up a rap about someone there (needless to say, I'm not getting a recording contract anytime soon with my rap about Liz), and when Ryan dared Bex to arm wrestle him and ended up having to wear just a towel for the rest of the night because he lost.

Eventually, everyone was feeling the effects of the day and decided to go to bed. I followed Hannah into our tent while the others filed into their own, shouting goodnights to one another.

Once we were both changed and in our sleeping bags, Hannah's whisper broke the silence. "Did you have fun, Cam?" she asked, turning over to face me.

"Mmm-hmm," I answered lazily, snuggling further into the warm of my sleeping bag and letting sleep drift over me.

"Good. I'm glad you came." Truth was, I almost didn't. If it wasn't for her and Macey practically dragging my butt here, I probably wouldn't have. But after tonight, I was happy I did. It wasn't as unbearable as I thought it was going to be, and I wasn't lying when I'd said that I'd had fun.

"Hey, Cam?" Hannah whispered into the darkness after a moment.

"What?" I mumbled.

She sat up in her sleeping bag and turned to me, and even though it was dark in our tent, I could still see the excitement in her eyes. "Wanna sneak into one of the boys' tents?"

I mentally rolled my eyes. Of course, that's what was on her mind right now. Hannah was the very definition of boy-crazy—she couldn't get enough of them. But I was actually slightly shocked that she was thinking about our friends in that way. Sneaking into their tents after going to bed? Obviously, she had a certain goal in mind, and one of our guys being her victim was…disturbing, to say the least.

"Hannah, it's late," I explained, my tired voice slurring the words together. "Everyone's going to bed. We should, too."

"Come on, it'd be fun!" she pleaded, grabbing my arm and giving me a light shake—something I did _not_ enjoy in the slightest considering I was _this close_ to falling asleep.

"You can go, but I'm tired," I told her, rolling over so that my back was to her. Hopefully, she got the message that this conversation was over.

"I can't go alone," she whined. "Please, Cammie?"

Hating myself, I groaned and rolled back over to face her again. "Whose tent are we going to?"

She didn't answer, but she didn't have to. The blush on her face was indication enough.

"Let me guess. Ryan's tent," I answered for her, already knowing it was true. She and Ryan have had a flirtmance ever since I met them back in middle school, but for some reason they always tried to pass it off as being really close friends. No one bought it, obviously, but we let them think we believed them, even when they would play footsie under the table at lunch or would spend every evening together after school. I should've known this would happen if I shared a tent with her.

Pushing my shoulder, Hannah scoffed, "Don't give me that look. Let's go before he falls asleep."

"Like we should be doing right now," I reminded her, which she ignored as she unzipped the tent's door and we quietly exited our room for the night.

Mimicking the same technique she used on our tent, she opened the door to Ryan's tent smoothly and without a noticeable disturbance, and I followed her inside.

And that's when I realized that Ryan's tent-mate was…of course...Zach.

 _Oh, boy._

::*::*::*::

 _ **{Zach}**_

Cammie was going to be the death of me.

First, she arrived in the shortest of shorts and a purple crop top that showed off just the right amount of skin to drive my imagination wild. I was embarrassingly close to walking up to her and taking her face in my hands as I kissed the hell out of her again just from looking at her. Then, she kept making flirty eyes at me while playing truth or dare, and at one point, she gave me the sweetest smile paired with the sexiest lip bite I've ever seen—which I wouldn't have complained about if Ryan hadn't been keeping tabs on the two of us all afternoon, as well.

And now, there she was, standing in the moonlight in the middle of my tent, dressed in her pajamas. Although her PJ's weren't as sexy as Hannah's booty shorts and tank top were, the way her flannel pants hung on her hips to reveal a sliver of skin and hugged her ass was enough to get my imagination going again. And I loved the way her hair fell over her bare shoulders in messy waves. Damn, she was beautiful, and she didn't even have a clue.

"Well, what did we do to deserve this lovely surprise?" Ryan asked, sitting up in his sleeping bag. A silly grin crossed his face as he took in Hannah's appearance. I was trying hard not to openly stare myself, but Cammie was just too damn tempting, I couldn't help but ogle her.

"We just wanted to visit our two favorite boys," Hannah replied flirtatiously, flipping her long, blonde hair over her shoulder as she wiggled herself closer to Ryan, inadvertently causing me to slide up next to Cammie. I was close enough that I could smell her vanilla body wash, which had me internally groaning.

"Oh, really?" Ryan asked, lifting his brow and glancing at Cammie. "Cam, Zach's one of your favorites?"

A small look of panic crossed her face. "Uh…"

I knew I had to say something. What would the old me—the me that claimed to have hated Cammie—do in this situation? The old Cammie would scoff or roll her eyes and then go on a tangent about how horrible of a person I was, but since she was forgetting that part of our relationship, I had to step in and save the day.

"Aw, Cam. I never knew you felt that way about me. I'm touched," I teased, smirking at her in the way I knew she hated.

Finally, she gained control of her senses and crossed her arms in front of her and rolled her eyes. "Please. You don't even make the top five," she told me with a sneer.

Damn, I must've been going crazy, because even when she's disgusted with me, I'm undeniably attracted to her.

Ryan and Hannah laughed, simply because our friends were the best around and enjoyed thinking that we couldn't stand each other.

I was already close to her, but I leaned in even more to where my body pressed against hers just slightly, and I whispered so Ryan and Hannah couldn't hear. "Because I'm number eight, right?" I asked, intentionally bringing it up to remind her of the day we kissed almost a week ago.

She looked up at me through her lashes, sending my hormones crazy at the sexy sight. I knew my plan had worked and she was thinking about our kiss because a slight blush formed on her cheeks and her gaze dropped to my lips for a second. Her eyes were screaming for me to kiss her—and _fuck_ , did I want to—but Ryan and Hannah were sitting less than three feet away. So instead, I pulled back and put some space between us. Instantly, her eyes lost all desire and she looked at me as if asking what was wrong, but I ignored her. I couldn't explain myself with our friends so close to us.

She turned away, and I feared that somehow I had hurt her, but then her face scrunched up and she whispered to me, "Uh, I think we should leave," before pointing to Hannah's figure that was straddling Ryan's and shoving their tongues down each other's throats.

Without a word, we left immediately and sat ourselves down around the dwindling fire—her on a log that served as a bench and me in my camping chair on the opposite side of the fire pit.

"So…" she started, her voice trailing off. I couldn't tell if she was feeling uncomfortable because of our friends or because we were alone together, but she was definitely feeling awkward.

" _So?_ " I asked back, dragging the word out longer than she had and raising my brows.

She cracked a smile before busting out laughing, and considering the ridiculousness of it all, I joined her.

"Can you believe that just happened?" she asked, her voice wavering from her laughter.

Actually, I could. Ryan and Hannah had always been a nonofficial thing, and everyone knew it. "Come on. You can't tell me you didn't see that coming. They're _always_ together."

"I kind of did, but it still surprised me," she answered, starting a whole new round of laughter.

As much as I wanted to laugh, I couldn't. Her laughter had always been my favorite sound, but this time I was absolutely captivated by it, so I just sat and listened. As many times as I had heard her laugh and seen her smile, she had never done so because of me, and I found that I liked it _so much more_.

She caught me staring at her, and although her laughter died, she still had a faint smile on her lips. "What?" she asked, sounding slightly timid.

"What?"

"You're staring at me," she said, ending with a soft laugh.

"And?" I smirked. I knew I was making her uncomfortable by not giving her an explanation to my staring, but I wasn't about to tell her that I was admiring her—her beauty, her laugh, and how she makes me feel something no one else can.

"I wanna know why," she told me.

I shrugged. "I don't think I've ever heard you laugh like that before," I answered truthfully. "I like it."

Her smile slowly grew into a sweet grin, and then she did that thing where she bit her bottom lip all innocent like—which had my mind wandering in not so innocent directions. All I wanted at that moment was to take that bottom lip between my own teeth and see how far from innocent I could take her. I swallowed hard, hoping it was dark enough that she couldn't see how badly I wanted her, but I had a feeling she could simply feel it radiating off of me anyway.

"Yeah?" she asked, continuing with that innocent vibe she could so easily give off.

I smirked again, but it quickly evolved into a genuine smile. "Yeah."

She nodded her head, and then locked eyes with me. "This is good. We're not fighting," she said lightly, almost happily.

"Well, I'll be damned. The world must've ended," I teased, and surprisingly she laughed again. If this was what it meant to actually be friends with Cammie, then maybe we didn't make an enormous mistake. "I guess that kiss worked, huh?"

Her eyes went wide as she looked back towards the tents. "Shhh!" she panicked. "Zach, someone could hear you."

Moving over to the log she sat on, I scooted closer so that I could whisper but she could still hear me. "Funny," I started, my voice deeper and rich with need, "you didn't seem to care about getting caught last week."

Again, the cutest blush touched her cheeks and she looked away shyly.

And I fucking loved being the reason for it. "Cammie Morgan, are you _blushing_? Now I'm convinced. The world has definitely ended."

"Oh, no. That means I must be in hell," she said with a lighthearted eye roll.

"What makes you say that?" I asked, a smile stretching across my face. I hated that I was smiling like an idiot simply because we were having a normal conversation and not fighting. How wimpy could I be? This girl definitely made me crazy, but I was starting to think that maybe it was a good crazy.

She eyed me and gave me a playful smirk that could give mine a run for its money. "Because _you're_ here," she answered, a twinkle lighting up her eyes as she spoke.

I laughed at how much spunk she had, never really realizing how much fun and witty Cammie truly was. Not that I had much of a chance to learn those things about her considering all we ever did was fight and argue. In fact, if I thought about it, I didn't know much about Cammie personally at all. I mean, I knew she was the closest to Liz in our group and that they'd been neighbors and best friends ever since they were little kids. I knew her favorite food was grilled cheese, but that was only because we've had lunch together every day for all of high school. I knew her dad wasn't around much because of work, but I didn't know how she felt about it or even if it bothered her at all, and I definitely didn't know about her relationship with her mom—did she have a normal loving mother-daughter-bond or a classic cliché evil stepmother type of relationship? Considering we had been a big part of each other's lives for three years, we really didn't know that much about each other. I mean, I didn't even know her middle name! It's weird to think about how we were practically strangers in a sense…

"Okay, maybe you're right," she giggled.

 _Oh, shit. What were we talking about?_ I raised my eyebrows in confusion, completely distracted by how disappointed I was in how little I knew about the girl who starred in most of my dreams and all of my fantasies.

"Maybe that kiss really did work," she clarified, no longer abashed. "I've never felt this comfortable around you."

"So, let's not stop."

 _Wait, what the hell?_ The words were out before I even knew what I was saying, and I was surprised at how much I truly meant them.

From the look on her face, she was just as shocked as I was. "What?" She looked at me like I was crazy, which now I was almost certain that I was because of this girl. "Are you saying that we should…keep kissing?"

I guess I was. And now that it was out there, it sounded like a really fucking good idea. I definitely wouldn't have minded. "You said it yourself—we're not fighting anymore," I reminded her.

"So, let's quit while we're ahead. If we continue…" she paused to shake her head dismissively. "Things would get extremely messy, Zach."

"How?" I asked, knowing she was just trying to find excuses. But I wasn't going to let her. We both wanted more of each other—I was just more upfront about it.

"Well, for instance, what about Aubree?"

Hearing Aubree's name come out of Cammie's mouth scared the hell out of me after what Ryan had told me. If Aubree's rumor spread farther than just her group of friends and Cammie heard about it, my chances with her were shit poor.

Cammie just sat there, waiting for me to answer, but I didn't know how to. I could tell that she was thinking through things in her mind by how she pursed her lips, which made me even more nervous.

"What have you heard?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

Crossing her arms, she answered, "That you two got back together last weekend."

I held back a sigh of relief. I could easily recover if that was all she heard. After all, based on our history, it wouldn't surprise me if there was a betting pool around the school on when Aubree and I would get back together. But now that Cammie was in the picture, there was no way in hell I was going to take Aubree back. Sure, I had entertained the idea all week after talking with Ryan, but Cammie was who I really wanted—even if it was just kissing.

After the feeling of relief wore off, I took to my flirtatious ways and turned on my Goode charm. Smirking, I teased her, "What's the matter, Cam? Jealous?"

"Don't flatter yourself," she said with revolt. Her eyes tapered as she watched me carefully, still waiting for me to either deny or confirm her accusation.

I chuckled at how cute she looked when she pouted. "We're not together, Cammie," I assured her, and seeing her relief made my chest swell with pride. Damn, the things this girl did to me. I bit back a smile and asked, "But how would Aubree make this messy, anyway?"

She wanted to roll her eyes—I could tell—which almost made me smile, because it was classic Cammie.

"Because I'm not going to be kissing you while you're kissing her," she explained, obviously angry.

I leaned in close, even though we were already close enough for me to drown in her intoxicating vanilla smell once again. The tip of my nose was merely inches away from her cheek when I whispered, "But I'm not kissing her."

So when she turned to face me, not only were our noses a hairsbreadth away, but so were our lips, which was _really_ pushing the limits of my self-control. Her eyes trained on my mouth, then she looked up at me through the curtain of dark lashes and her bright blue eyes darkened with desire.

 _Fuck me. How the fuck does she go from shy and innocent to sexy as hell?_ I've said it before and I'll say it again…

Cammie was going to be the death of me.

Right when I thought she was going to kiss me, she turned away. "Not right now, but what if you do eventually?" she asked, almost sounding sad. "What happens then?"

I moved back and took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind with air that wasn't doused with vanilla. "Then we stop," I told her, even though I knew if I had Cammie, I wasn't going to be kissing anyone else—especially not Aubree. She was always a second to Cammie, anyway.

"Just like that?" she asked.

"Why not?" I offered a shrug to compliment my carefree tone, but I was seriously starting to worry that she was talking herself out of it. "It doesn't have to get messy, Cam."

"So, you're suggesting we have a no-strings-attached kind of thing?" she asked, finally turning back to me. "Why?"

 _Because I want a reason to keep kissing you that doesn't reveal how much I actually like you._ Yeah, right. Like that would work. I tried to tell her I cared about her once before and that completely backfired, leaving her thinking I was full of shit.

So, instead, I took the rational approach. "Same reason you suggested we kiss in the first place. To keep us from fighting," I explained.

"You're serious?" The look she gave me told me she had made up her mind, and it wasn't looking good for me. "Zach, that's insane! What if we got caught? What if Macey found out?"

She continued to come up with reasonable yet idiotic excuses as to why we shouldn't give it a try, but I was done listening to her deny what we both really wanted. Mid-sentence, I grabbed her and pulled her into me, shutting her up with a kiss.

Almost immediately, she kissed me back, wrapping her arms around me and pulling me against her, as well. With each kiss, she met mine with growing hunger. She even nipped my bottom lip a couple of times—each time harder than the previous when she found out it made me moan in a way she must've liked.

My hands slid down her body, appreciating every curve she had and reveling in her bare skin in random places before moving to her lower back. She arched up into me and a soft, satisfied sigh escaped her, boosting my confidence and making me want her even more.

But I gained some control and broke the kiss, just enough to speak before I took her mouth in mine again. "Admit it, Cam. This is a good idea," I smirked, flexing my fingers into her soft skin, just because I could.

She smiled against my lips. "Don't flatter yourself," she teased, kissing me all over again.

* * *

 _Wow, these past few weeks have been super busy! But that's still no excuse for taking as long as I did to get this thing written and posted for y'all. So, I apologize._

 _I read your suggestions for what books to read, and so now I'm reading_ Legend _by Marie Lu, and so far it's really good. I recommend it to anyone looking for a new book._

 _Okay, guys let me know your thoughts on this chapter! I know it's long, but it was late anyway so they cancel out lol. I have to say, a lot of your comments make me laugh and I absolutely love reading them. AllyCarterFan, you are in a league of your own when it comes to awesome reviews! But I still love every new review I get on each chapter from EVERYONE because they're validation, and let's face it...who doesn't like to feel loved? Lol._

 _If you have ideas on what you'd like to see happen in this story, please don't be afraid to share! I'd love to hear them and I just might incorporate them into future chapters ;)_

 _Thanks for reading and I hope you've enjoyed it enough to leave a review (: Stay awesome y'all!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter Eight_

 _ **{Cammie}**_

The next day, we spent most of our time down by the river, hanging out and enjoying the perfect relaxation weather. We swam, played games, talked, and most importantly, Zach and I actually got along (something our friends were constantly commenting on). By the time we got back to our campsite and finished packing up our stuff, we were all drained from the day's activities and the sun's heat. Although the trip was exhilarating and loads of fun, I couldn't wait to get home and take a nap.

After another two-hour long drive through the middle of nowhere, I finally walked through my front door and called out, "Hey, Mom. I'm home!"

Excitedly, my mom sprung from the kitchen and hurried over towards me. By the smell engulfing the house and the flour on her apron, she must've been baking something. "Hey, kiddo! How was your camping trip?" she asked, smiling brightly and squeezing me tight.

"So much fun," I answered, hugging her back just as hard. "How was your night?"

"Oh, it was great," she replied, leading both of us back into the kitchen where she continued with her baking. "I got to experiment some with my cooking, and I made the _best_ lasagna."

"Ooh, I can't wait to try it," I told her. "Did Dad like it?"

"Oh, he didn't make it in yesterday," she exclaimed calmly.

I frowned at her words, my eyebrows crinkling in confusion. "I thought his flight was supposed to land around three?"

"It was rescheduled," she said nonchalantly, as if telling me the store was out of milk and we'll just get some another time.

My face fell at the news of my dad's delayed return. I had been looking forward to it for days now.

Noticing my sullen mood, my mom smiled sympathetically. "Don't worry, kiddo. He comes in on Tuesday. That's not too far away," she offered, obviously trying to cheer me up. What I couldn't understand was how she wasn't more upset about it.

"He's already been gone for two weeks," I argued.

Walking around the island, she gave me another hug. "That's the life of a pilot, kiddo. Unfortunately, that means he's gone often. That just makes our time with him that much more special." She kissed the top of my head and gave me a wink before returning to her stirring.

I nodded, knowing she was right but still annoyed with the turn of events. "I'm gonna go take a shower before dinner," I said, hoping I didn't sound as sad as I felt.

"Yeah, I wasn't going to say anything, but you do kinda smell like murky water," my mom said as she wrinkled her nose.

I laughed before I left the kitchen and headed up the stairs to my room. I grabbed a towel and turned on the shower, relishing the hot water as it streamed over my body. Besides the feeling of being clean, the best thing about showers was that they were the perfect place to think. So, I took advantage of that time to sulk, not for the first time, about my dad's extended leave. It seemed like that was happening more often than not—he'll say he'll be gone for a week and then he'll be scheduled to do two more flights before he can come back home.

I know he always claimed to miss my mom and me, but I highly doubted that he minded having extra flights thrown at him last minute. My dad loved to fly; it had always been his dream to become a pilot. When I was little, all he'd talk about was getting his license so he could travel all over and visit places he never imagined he could go. And now, he works for the largest airline company in the world and gets to do all of that and more. He's told me more than once that he was finally living out his dream.

And I felt so guilty for wishing he would just give it all up and come home. I was the worst daughter ever.

I decided I was done drowning my sorrows in the now-ice-cold shower water, so I got out and dried off, slipping into fresh clothes and running a towel through my hair. My phone beeped with a new message, but I didn't bother to look at it. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone at the moment. When it beeped again, and again, and _again_ from what I assumed was probably a group chat between the girls, I finally turned it on silent before shoving it in my pocket and flopping onto my bed.

I must've dozed off for a few minutes, because the next thing I heard was my mom calling me from downstairs telling me a friend of mine was here, but I hadn't heard the doorbell ring.

Groaning up at the ceiling, I whined, "Seriously?" I just wanted to be left alone for the night. Couldn't my friends see that from how I was ignoring their messages?

I heard whoever it was as they pounded up the stairs. I got off my bed to greet them when they suddenly appeared in my doorway.

I gasped, shocked by his presence, and asked a tad too sharply, "What are you doing here?"

::*::*::*::

 _ **{Zach}**_

How the hell I ended up at Cammie's house, let alone inside her _room_ , I didn't know. One moment, I was stuck in a car with Ryan and Jonas while they acted like idiots for two hours and then the next, I was standing in front of a stunned Cammie. But she wasn't the only one who was surprised by my arrival, and I was sure I looked just as shocked and confused as she did.

"Zach?" she asked, probably worried considering I was just standing there like a psycho instead of answering her.

Finally, I snapped back.

She raised her eyebrows at me, still waiting for me to tell her what the hell I was doing there.

"I, uh—" I stammered, unsure of how to answer that. I was too distracted with thoughts of her and the fact that I was _in her room_ and she wasn't shoving me back out the door. Not only that, but her hair was wet and undone, naturally falling in all directions. _Holy shit, was she just in the shower?_ That just blurred away any coherent thought I had on why I was there in the first place, and was replaced with reasons why I wanted to be there _now_.

A concerned look crossed her face, her lips slightly open and turned downward in a frown, and her eyes wide and blazing blue.

She looked incredibly hot, just like she had earlier in the day in her multicolored bikini. Suddenly, I remembered why I came—because I'd been wanting her all day, and this was the only way I could have her.

But how to tell her that? There was simply no way, even if I could form articulate sentences.

"Aw, fuck it," I said, giving up on finding the right words.

I grabbed her small body and pulled her into me, slamming the door behind me as I went. I pressed my mouth against hers, probably a little more aggressively than I planned on, and the softest of moans escaped her lips. She slipped her hands up my chest and over my shoulders before swiping them down my back. Landing at the hem of my shirt, her fingers stilled momentarily, and then they plunged beneath the cotton fabric. Her fingers danced shyly along my waist as if she was nervous to be touching my bare skin. But I didn't want her to be nervous. I wanted her to give me everything she wanted to without hesitation, and I needed to show her that.

I thrusted my hand into her hair as I deepened the kiss, lacing my tongue with hers. We engaged in a dance of lips and tongues, sometimes eager, and then growing soft. I spun both of us around, capturing her body between mine and the door. Her hands roamed up and down my back, and at one point, just barely dipped into the waistband of my jeans. I let out an appreciative groan because…well…damn, I loved where this was heading.

"Do you know how badly I've wanted to do this to you all day?" I asked against her mouth. "Seeing you in that bikini and having to keep my hands to myself was driving me crazy."

"Could've fooled me," she mumbled as I took her mouth in mine again, "what with all the glaring and disgusted looks thrown my way."

"Not at you, babe," I told her, thinking back to when the other guys were all over her—splashing water at her, picking her up and throwing her around, carrying her—knowing I couldn't be that carefree with her with all our friends around. "At the guys," I growled.

She must've known what I meant by that, because she threw her head back and laughed, giving me the perfect opening to devour the soft skin at her neck.

"I think someone's jealous," she teased, a slight moan mixing in with her words as my hands wandered beneath her shirt and up her ribs, her melting into my embrace.

"Not at all." Cupping her ass in both hands and lifting her up so she had to wrap her legs around me, I playfully bit at her bottom lip and winked. "But now it's my turn to play with you."

I threw her onto the bed, causing her to giggle—which made my pride swell because that meant she was having fun.

I slithered my way up her body, eyeing every inch of it as I went. When my face was above her stomach, I nudged her T-shirt up with my nose and gently kissed her skin before moving farther up to hover above her at eye level. I leaned down and softly kissed her, feeling her smile when I touched her lips.

I was just about to pick up momentum again when a buzzing in her pocket broke through our lust-driven haze.

"You're vibrating," I whispered against her mouth, amused.

Laughing, she corrected me, "It's my phone," and tried to dig it out of her pocket.

"Don't answer it," I pleaded, kissing my way down the side of her neck. When the phone broke free from her jeans, I reached for it, but she was too fast and held it out of my reach.

"It's probably one of the girls," she argued.

"But they just saw you." Shit, even I could hear the desperate whine in my voice. _Pathetic._

"So did you," she countered, lightly shoving me off her and rolling me onto my back.

I watched as she sat up and checked her messages. Her face was flushed, her lips were swollen from being properly kissed, and her hair was a complete mess from me running my hands through it.

And she couldn't have looked sexier.

Simply admiring her, I ran the back of my fingers up and down her arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind every stroke.

Finally, she clicked off her phone and turned back to me, looking over her shoulder with a satisfied smile on her lips.

"Hey, you should stay for dinner," she said suddenly.

I chuckled. _Yeah, right. Let me stay and meet your parents after dry-humping and kissing the shit out of their daughter. That'll go well._

But when I saw her serious face, I instantly stopped laughing. "Oh, you're serious?" I asked, feeling completely out of my comfort zone. It had taken me almost a year before I had dinner with Aubree and her family, and yet Cammie was expecting me to meet hers after a week of us getting along. And we weren't even dating!

"Yeah. I mean, it's the least I can do after…" her voice trailed off as she waved her hand around as if to say _all that_.

"Is that the deal?" I asked, teasingly. "I kiss you, you give me food? I'm starting to feel a little dirty, like you're paying for my services."

"Is that a no?" she asked, challenging me with a smirk.

I grinned. This girl never ceased to amaze me. Beautiful, smart, sweet, and spunky—she was the total package.

Too bad she was completely off-limits. This, whatever is was, was only temporary and no-strings-attached. Whatever I was feeling needed to be stamped down and forgotten. I needed to be in control and emotionally unattached, keeping her at arm's length if I wanted to come out of this unscathed. It shouldn't be too hard considering I'd been doing it for the past three years, just without the kissing.

 _Oh, shit. Did we just come a full circle?_

* * *

 _I feel like the ending was kinda confusing...whoops. Sorry! Basically, Zach knows that he could easily fall for Cammie if he let himself, but he also knows that he can't let that happen. So, he has to be careful and keep his emotions at bay, just like before when they were pretending to hate each other. So, it's kind of like nothings changed. Does that make more sense?_

 _I know in the books, Rachel Morgan was an awful cook, but I don't know, for some reason I wrote her this way where she likes to cook and she's good at it._

 _So, is it hot in here or what? ;) Zach and Cammie are amping it up people! I try really hard not to go too overboard with their make-out/kissing scenes, but I don't really know if I'm doing too much, too little, or what. Sorry if I make anyone feel awkward..but it could always be worse lol. Same goes for the profanity. Guys in general cuss more than girls, so I tend to incorporate it more into Zach's POVs, but again, sorry if the word "fuck" makes anyone feel uncomfortable. Heads up... I'm going to keep using it. Just let me know how y'all feel about those two things, though, cause my goal isn't to try to make everyone cringe lol._

 _This chapter and the next are kind of together, like how chapter one and two were, so here's hoping I get it up soon!_

 _Thanks for all the love! Love your reviews and comments, and I look forward to reading new ones every single day (: Stay awesome (:_


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter Nine_

 _ **{Zach}**_

After practically dragging me down the stairs, Cammie led me into the dining room where her mom was setting the table.

"Hey, Mom. Is it okay if Zach stays for dinner?" Cammie asked, grabbing the pot from the kitchen and placing it on the table.

Her mom gave her an appreciative grin, then answered, "Yes, of course. The more, the merrier."

I cleared my throat uncomfortably. "Thank you, Mrs. Morgan," I told her, trying my best to hold the eye contact despite feeling uneasy. The woman looked just like Cammie, only with dark hair instead of golden blonde, and she didn't look old enough to have a daughter who was a senior in high school. If I hadn't already known that Cammie was an only child, I might've guessed that Mrs. Morgan was her older sister or something. Although, she did have a piercing stare with eyes matching her daughter's that made her seem older and stricter, which didn't help with the uneasiness.

We all sat down and began eating when I noticed there was an empty seat at the table void of any kind of plating. "Will Mr. Morgan be joining us?" I asked, eyeing the space.

"No, Zach. He's in Phoenix tonight," Mrs. Morgan answered without further explanation, as if why he was there was common knowledge.

"On, like, a business trip or something?"

She chuckled. "No, he's a pilot. He and his crew are flying from Oregon to Arizona tonight. In fact," she started, pausing to check the watch on her wrist, "he should've landed about half an hour ago."

"So, he should be calling any minute," Cammie added, her mother's care-free tone absent from her own. "Because that's just as good as him being here, right?"

It didn't take a genius to see that she wasn't happy. Her last statement was dripping with sarcasm and her eyes narrowed with distaste as she spoke. She must've had a similar conversation with her mom about this before—hell, maybe they have it every time Mr. Morgan's gone. I can't say I blame Cammie for being upset, but her causing a scene and pouting was only making it more awkward for me considering I knew absolutely _nothing_ about the situation. Silently, I continued eating with my eyes glued to my plate, afraid to look up and lock eyes with either of the Morgan women.

Mrs. Morgan sighed, and when she spoke, her tone was much softer than before. "He didn't ask to have his flight patterns altered, Cam. I know he wanted to be home as much as you wanted him to be," she said cautiously, trying to be more sensitive to Cam's feelings.

"I know. Sorry," Cammie apologized guiltily.

We continued to eat in silence before a phone rang a few minutes later. Mrs. Morgan looked down at the device in her hand and smiled. "It's your father," she explained, standing up from the table. Placing a kiss on Cammie's forehead, she teased, "You, kiddo, must be psychic. It was nice meeting you, Zach."

The room fell silent as Cammie's mom left to answer her call, the air thickening with tension.

"Cam, I'm—"

"I don't want to talk about it," she stated quickly, snatching up her plate and throwing it into the sink before exiting the room.

I followed her, finding her curled up in the corner of the living room couch.

"I didn't know your dad was a pilot," I said as I slumped down on the opposite end, giving her some much needed space.

She simply shrugged and mumbled, "Well, you and I don't really talk much."

I tried not to let her words sting as much as they did. "Yeah, but I've never heard any of our friends say anything about it either," I pried. Again, she shrugged, this time remaining silent. "Cammie, does anyone besides me know?"

"Sure. Lots of people know. The airlines, his crew, his passengers…"

I shot her a look that told her to cut the shit, and she sighed.

"No. None of our friends know," she answered quietly, sounding drained. "Except for Liz, but she doesn't count. She knows everything."

"Why haven't you told them?" I asked, perplexed by her confession. It wasn't like her to keep secrets from our group.

"I just really miss him," she stated despondently. "If I told people, then I'd have to talk about it all the time, and as you can see, I don't really like talking about it."

I nodded since that was the only response I could think of. I had no idea what to say—I had never been in this position with her before. Usually, she was all smiles and rainbows until I did something to piss her off, and even then she was still animated and cheerful (just not towards me). I'd never seen her so upset, so I had no clue what to do. Do I comfort her? Do I make a joke and try to make light of the situation? What if she doesn't like being cheered up? What if she just likes to let it all out and be done with it? If so, should I just sit here and wait for the storm to pass?

She turned to me and stared. I could see the wheels turning in her head, but what she was thinking was a mystery to me, like always. Just when I thought she wasn't going to say anything, she asked, "What's your favorite color?"

"What?" I was so confused by the complete random change in subject that I was pretty sure I misheard her. My favorite color? She had a habit of mentioning small details at the oddest times. First it was my preference of Coke over Pepsi right after our latest fight, and now it was my favorite color in the middle of her depression over her dad being gone for so long. Was _this_ her way of coping with things? Asking dumb questions?

"Your favorite color," she repeated, amused by my confusion. "I just realized we don't really know anything about each other."

"You just told me your deepest secret, and you're wondering about my favorite color?" I asked in disbelief. Holy shit, this girl was mad crazy.

She giggled and said, "Do you want to share your deepest secret instead?"

I shook my head at her, but not in response to her question. Just at the absurdness of it all. "Blue," I finally answered. "Light blue. Not dark like the ocean, but more like the color of the sky."

She nodded, giving me a small smile. "That's a good one."

"What's yours?" I asked, suddenly realizing why she wanted to know in the first place. There was something exciting about getting to know her better, even if it was as juvenile as a favorite color.

"Green."

"Dark like emeralds or—"

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "A vibrant green. A livelier one. Kinda like your eyes."

I grinned. "Cammie, are you hitting on me?" I teased.

She raised her hands defensively and, with a smile, replied, "Just stating a fact."

"So, it's a fact that you like my eyes?" I mocked her, poking her in the ribs and causing her to laugh.

"Forget I said anything, you jerk," she said, sticking her tongue out at me.

"Hey, do you know how hard it is for me to get a compliment from you? I will gladly take it!" I exclaimed.

She rolled her eyes and giggled light-heartedly. With the teasing all done, we were again surrounded by silence.

"I kinda wanted to thank you," she said out of nowhere, once again throwing me for a loop with her random subject changes.

I raised my brow, silently asking why she would be thanking me.

"Before you showed up, I was pretty upset about my dad not coming home when he was supposed to," she explained, glancing down at her hands that she was wringing together. Shrugging awkwardly, she continued, "But you definitely cheered me up. So, thanks."

I smiled, feeling a small sense of satisfaction. It felt nice to be there for Cammie in a way I'd never been before—in a way that was usually only saved for Liz and the girls. A part of me was kicking myself for not settling our stupid feud years ago and allowing me to enjoy more moments like this.

But then the other part of me was warning myself to stay on guard. Sure, it'd be fucking fantastic if she and I actually came out of this arrangement as real friends, but it was all too easy to fall for Cammie. And then what would happen? I'd tell her I love her? Yeah, right. Like she could ever love me. No matter how nice I was from here on out, I will always be the asshole that tormented her throughout all of high school. I will always be the dumbass who made her feel like shit for being a loyal friend to Macey. I don't deserve a girl like her—sweet, caring, innocent, and so damn beautiful. And the thing I liked most about her is the number one reason why I didn't deserve her…

She was forgiving.

I don't think I ever even apologized for what I did, and yet, there she was looking at me like I was her hero and like the past never happened.

What's really fucked up is that had I known about her dad never being home and how much it bothered her before we kissed, I probably would've used it against her. I would've thrown it in her face any chance I got just to make sure she hated my fucking guts.

And she's still looking at me and smiling like she's relieved she has someone she can trust this with.

God, I was the shittiest person alive. I had never hated myself as much as I did then.

She could sense my discomfort. I could tell by the look on her face that she knew something was wrong. But she either knew me too well to say anything, or she didn't trust me to tell her the truth, and I prayed that it was the latter. If she didn't fully trust me, then that meant she would have a wall of her own up, protecting us both in the long run. God, I prayed that was the case.

"Um, do you want to watch a movie or something?" she asked, her voice growing quieter as she spoke. It was as if she could already see the answer written on my face before she even finished.

"Um, actually, I should be going. I told my mom I'd be home before dark," I lied. I glanced away, hoping I was just imagining the flash of hurt in her eyes.

"Oh," she said, and I didn't have to look at her to know I hadn't imagined it. "Yeah, I understand. Um, I'll walk you out." She was trying to act cool about it, like I was just another friend who had to leave early. But we both knew that wasn't the case. She opened up to me, and I was pushing her away. Just like I always did.

I followed her to the front of the house where she opened the door and waited for me to leave, avoiding my gaze the whole time.

She was just about the shut the door behind me when I snapped back around and, before I even knew what was happening, said, "Hey, Cammie?"

She stopped and looked up, searching my eyes for answers to questions she hadn't asked out loud.

I knew what I wanted to tell her—that tonight meant as much to me as it did to her, even if I didn't need the cheering up like she did. But I also knew I couldn't risk telling her that. It was better to stomp it down and pretend like it was never there.

So, instead, like the wimp I was, I told her, "See you at school."

She nodded, her mood deflated. "Yeah. See ya, Zach."

::*::*::*::

 _ **{Cammie}**_

I was such a fool.

I knew he started freaking out the moment I got sentimental and tried thanking him for being there for me. It was written all over his face how terrified he was. How could I blame him? We spent our entire relationship putting up walls and staying the hell away from each other that of course he was going to panic when I let my guard down a bit. It wasn't something he was used to, and Zach _hated_ being in new territory where he had no control over the situation.

Wow, I felt like an idiot for thinking anything was going to change. I mean, when you spend three years blocking someone out and pushing them away, that distance doesn't just vanish overnight. We were still practically strangers because of the lengths we'd gone to in order to keep that distance alive and growing.

When he turned back before I closed the door, I thought maybe he was going to show a piece of himself in return, but I was stupid to believe he would trust me just because I foolishly trusted him. I mentally reprimanded myself for being so daft and for thinking for even a second that Zach and I could actually repair our relationship without ever talking about and apologizing—for assuming a kiss would just erase all our bad blood. Obviously, it was going to take more than that.

But what if even that couldn't fix this? What if our friendship was already damaged beyond repair?

* * *

 _Whew, for some reason, this chapter took me a lot longer to write than normal. Usually, I can get it done in a few hours or so once I actually sit down and start typing, but this one took me about six hours! Granted, I took breaks, but still. The things I do for my readers lol._

 _Okay, I have a few requests for you all! First off, let me know what you think of how the story is progressing so far and where you want it to go. I have a few ideas of my own, but hearing from you all wouldn't hurt haha. Obviously, they're going to have to figure out a way past this bump in the road and learn to trust each other before they can progress, so any ideas on that are welcome, as well as any ideas for once they've talked it out. Secondly, do you want this little tiff to be resolved in the next chapter or have it drag out a little longer? Thirdly, do you want to see more scenes with their friends (whether it be Cammie and the girls, Zach and the guys, Cammie with the guys and Zach with the girls, or them all together)? Like I said, I have an idea on where I see this going, but I have some time to kill in between where the story is at currently and where I want it to go._

 _Okay...long author's note lol. Sorry!_

 _Anyways, thanks for reading and for all your supportive reviews! I didn't know if people even read the author's notes until you guys were commenting on things I said in my last one. Super cool! Thanks y'all! As always, stay awesome (:_


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter Ten_

 _ **{Cammie}**_

For their first game of the season, our soccer team was playing the Westtown Bandits—something no one was too thrilled about. Westtown was not only really good, but they were _really_ rough. The previous year, they had caused a total of fourteen injuries for their opponents, the least damaging one being a fractured collarbone. Despite half their team being kicked out of the state tournament for foul play and aggressive offense, they still ended up winning the State Championship title because they were just that good. Needless to say, we weren't only worried about our players' health, but about our undefeated title as well.

Since Ryan was the captain of the soccer team and Zach and Jonas were star players, the rest of us were forced to attend all their home games, and even though Zach and I weren't on the best of terms (but seriously, when were we?), I decided to still go to support our friends.

And maybe to make sure no one got hurt.

Dressed in shorts and blue jerseys with our friends' soccer numbers on the back—mine with Ryan's and hers with Jonas'—Liz and I finally made it to the game. When we entered the bleachers, I could see that the game had already started and the stands were crowded with supportive students.

"Cammie! Liz!"

Macey waved us over to where the rest of our gang was seated—front and center with the best view.

"Hey, sorry we're late," I apologized, squeezing my way to sit beside Bex with Liz in tow. "What'd we miss?"

"Nothing much, except Cody Nichols was _'accidently'_ tripped and twisted his ankle," Bex explained, annoyed. With an eye roll, she added, mumbling, "Accident my ass."

"Westtown's playing dirty _already_?" Liz asked in shock. "It's two minutes into the game!"

I couldn't blame her for being surprised considering they usually didn't start getting rough until the second half, or until they started losing by a few goals. They must've really thought that our boys were big threats to their own undefeated title if they started dirty right out the gate.

"I guess they're not wasting any time," Hannah said with a worried sigh. "I hope our boys play it safe out there."

Declan snorted. "Ryan? Safe? I bet you ten dollars the next foul is called on him as retribution for what happened to Cody," he said confidently, squeezing Macey's hand for backup.

Hannah groaned, abandoning her usual attitude towards Macey's boyfriend due to be overly concerned about our boys on the field. "I know. He's a loyal idiot," she whined, although that was one of the reasons we all loved Ryan—he would do anything to backup his team.

We continued to watch as our boys continued to take, as well as give out, beating after beating until both teams were fouling all over the place. The play wouldn't last ten seconds without a foul being called, often times on a player that wasn't even near the ball. Eventually, at some point after half time, Grant showed up and joined us, complaining about how dumb Zach and Ryan were being by committing pointless fouls and playing recklessly, which only made Hannah and Macey worry more about their well-being.

Zach had the ball in his possession when one of the bigger Westtown players began closing in on him, chasing Zach as he advanced down the field. It was obvious that the bigger guy was planning on slamming himself into Zach to make him lose control of the ball, but suddenly, another player squeezed his way in at the last second and took the hit instead.

The referee blew his whistle and the play ceased. That's when I caught a glimpse of the boy who had been crushed beneath the mammoth-sized player by his own will. Someone who hated Zach, and who I never thought would actually try to protect him…

Lucas Grey.

Lucas Grey took a hit for Zach like a football player would for their quarter back.

I was shocked, to say the least.

With the help of two other teammates, he limped back to the bench where Cody sat, icing his swollen ankle. Lucas sat next to him and began stretching out his knee as another play began. As if he could feel me staring, he looked up into the bleachers and found me almost instantly. He smiled awkwardly, like he wasn't sure if he should or not, and nodded in my direction.

It had been two weeks since I found out he was just trying to use me and, even though we still hadn't spoken because I couldn't stand the thought of listening to him spin more lies, I smiled back and gave him a small wave. It was the least I could do considering he put himself in harm's way and got injured just so Zach wouldn't have.

Like I said, not even ten seconds had passed when the crowd collectively gasped and the whistle blew again. I snapped my attention back to the field and saw the same big guy who took out Lucas now standing over Zach who was laying on the ground motionless.

"Oh my God," Liz exclaimed quietly and slightly breathy as she gaped at the scene before her.

"What happened?" I panicked.

Jumping up from her seat, Macey explained, "I think he just got knocked out." Without even waiting for a response, she rushed down onto the field with Grant immediately following, both of them fuming with anger.

While Liz, Bex, Hannah, Declan, and I remained seated up in the stands, Macey kneeled down beside her cousin who still remained unmoving and Grant stopped next to Ryan, saying something to which Ryan shook his head at.

The massive player responsible for what was happening started to laugh, which only angered Grant even more. Instantly, Grant was in the other guy's face and Ryan was latching onto Grant's arm trying to hold him back.

"Oh, no," Hannah said as we all watched in horror.

"Let's go," Bex order.

We didn't waste any time hurrying over to our friends, knowing Grant needed us to calm him down that instant before he did something stupid.

As we approached, I heard Ryan tell him, "Come on, Grant, you can't hit him," as he tried to hold Grant back from the giant who was still smiling as if he was proud of his work.

"No, _you_ can't hit him or you'll be off the team," Grant argued. " _I_ can hit him all I want!"

"He's not worth it, man," Ryan explained, his voice strained as he struggled to keep his hold.

Jonas grabbed the other arm and calmly said, "Grant, chill out. Zach's fine."

Relieved, I looked down to see that Jonas was right. Besides the blood that was running down his face from a massive cut on his forehead, Zach was okay.

Macey leaned over, careful of the blood staining Zach's jersey, and gave him a hug. "Thank God you're all right."

"I'm fine, Mace," he mumbled, shrugging her off. She offered to help him up to his feet, but once again he refused her assistance. He started to head towards the locker room, probably to clean his face, swaying as he went. Stumbling slightly, he pressed a palm to his head. "Whoa. My head's spinning," he said, his eyes unable to focus on anything. As he passed, he lost his balance and fell into me.

I grabbed his elbow and steadied him again, noticing how blurry his eyes were. "Here," I started, pulling his arm around me. "I'll help you."

With him leaning heavily against me, I steered us towards the boys' locker room and lowered him to the floor once we were inside. I pulled paper towels from the dispenser and ran them under the sink, wetting them so I could wipe away the blood that was still dripping from the gash on his temple.

"This doesn't look too good," I told him, wincing. It was a pretty big slit with a steady stream of dark red flowing from it and down the side of his jaw. I wasn't a doctor, but it didn't look like any normal cut I had seen.

"It's fine," Zach assured me, his words drowsy and his eyes closed.

I continued to wash his face, telling myself to stop focusing on the fact that I was so close to him. This was no time for my girl hormones to kick in. Of course, that didn't stop me from wishing that I could steal more than just glances at his lips while his eyes were shut.

Eventually, he stopped bleeding. It had taken so long, though, that I was afraid he had fallen asleep.

"Zach? Are you all right?" I asked after throwing away my seventh blood-drenched paper towel.

"Mmm-hmm," he moaned.

"Well, it's no longer bleeding," I told him. "Do you need me to do anything else?"

Slowly, he shook his head.

"Do you want me to leave?" I asked again, seeing as though he probably just wanted some rest.

He opened his eyes to slits, focusing on me and where I stood by the sink. Our gazes locked for a moment, and then he shook his head again.

::*::*::*::

 _ **{Zach}**_

Cammie just stared at me. I must've looked like shit with the cut on my forehead and blood on my jersey, but she didn't say anything about it. She just looked at me, her eyes never leaving mine. She was probably checking to see if my vision cleared, and I liked knowing she was concerned about me.

After determining I was fine, she looked down at the paper towel in her hand. "Here," she said, kneeling next to me again and wiping away sweat and dirt from the rest of my face now that the blood was gone.

When Macey had tried to help me earlier, I stopped her because I knew I was fine and didn't need to be coddled. But when Cammie tried, I let her. I guess I never imagined she'd care enough to help me, so seeing that she did stopped me from brushing her off. Silently, I watched her and enjoyed everything she did to me—physically and emotionally.

I loved having her this close to me, but I hated that I could feel the uneasiness radiating off her every time she touched my face. What I hated even more was that I knew it was because of the other night when I pushed her away after she trusted me with her secret about her dad.

I swallowed hard before opening my mouth to apologize. "Cam? About the other day—"

"We don't have to talk about that right now," she told me. She knew what I wanted to say, but she was avoiding that conversation for reasons unknown to me. I could sense how tense she was around me because I once again pushed her away. So, why wouldn't she let me explain?

"Yes, we do, Cam," I said, sitting up on my own away from the wall, my voice strong and demanding while my grasp on her hand was desperately begging for her to listen.

"Zach, you just got elbowed in the face and bled for ten minutes straight," she argued. "This conversation can wait."

I didn't necessarily agree with her, but I wasn't going to argue. I was afraid that if I did, I would just watch her pull away from me even more. So instead, I simply leaned back against the wall again and let her continue to take care of me.

As she wiped down my face with the wet towel, a piece of her hair fell out of her ponytail. Without giving myself any time to come to my senses, I reached out and gently brushed it back, my fingers caressing her soft check.

She tried to fight the urge to look at me, but ultimately failed. Her bright blue orbs fixed on my green ones, and I couldn't keep myself from smirking.

The thought of kissing her had barely entered my mind when the locker room door opened and a few of my teammates filed in. Cammie jumped back, resuming her spot at the sink and turning the water on to wet another towel in a vain attempt to appear normal.

"Hey, man. How's the head?" Ryan asked as he and the others rounded the corner. Reaching out for my hand he added, "Got a concussion or anything?"

"Uh, I don't think so," I answered as he lifted me to my feet.

"That was a nasty hit, man," he said, laughing. "Thanks for cleaning him up, Cammie. Can't have him showing up to my house dripping blood everywhere."

Cammie nodded, but didn't respond. Turning to me, she said, "I guess I'm all done here." Even though her voice was normal, her eyes lingered on mine a little too long, almost as if begging me not to let her leave. I wanted so badly to give in to her, but I couldn't. Not in front of the guys.

Instead, I just nodded, even though all I really wanted to do was to kick the guys out and tell her to stay so I could hold her close. She must've been expecting my dismissal, because when she handed me the fresh towel on her way out, she didn't look the slightest bit disappointed.

Which only made me feel even shittier. I leaned over the sink, debating with myself on whether I should say something or just let her hate me for a little bit until I could smooth things over when no one else was around.

"Hey, Cam?" I heard a voice call out. It wasn't until I looked up into the mirror to see her reflection standing in the doorway looking at me that I realized the voice was mine. "Thanks."

Her facial expression didn't change, but I saw the relief in her eyes. "I'm just glad you're okay," she said before walking out the door.

At the same time, Grant walked in, barely sidestepping her before running her over. "Oh, hey, Cam," he acknowledged her with a hint of surprise.

"Grant," she replied. And then she was gone.

Still confused, he asked me, "What was she doing in here?"

"Playing nurse," Ryan teased, causing Jonas and the others to giggle like little school girls.

"She actually helped you?" Grant asked, astonished.

I nodded, dreading how big a deal he was making it.

"And you let her?"

Reluctantly, I nodded again.

"I think maybe you were hit a little too hard," he joked, patting me on my back.

The guys all laughed again, except I noticed that one voice was missing. I didn't have to look (in fact, I deliberately tried not looking) to know that Ryan wasn't laughing, but was instead watching me intently.

"Anyway," Grant said after his laughter died, "I was just seeing if you were okay. I gotta take Cammie and Lizzie home, and then I'll see you guys at Ryan's house."

Once the team was done changing and goofing off, they all left to head to Ryan's after-party that he throws after every home game.

Everyone except for Ryan, that is.

The last person left, and instantly, Ryan leaned against the wall and folded his arms over his chest. "Okay. Talk."

"About what?" I asked, playing dumb. Talking was the last fucking thing I wanted to do at that moment.

"About Brad and Angelina breaking up," he replied in that smartass way he knew I hated. "What do you think I mean, bro? What's going on with you and Cammie?"

"We're not fighting anymore," I answered with a shrug, thinking that if I pulled this off and Ryan actually believed me, then I deserved a fucking Oscar. "We're finally able to be in the same room and not be at each other's throats."

He raised his brow like a mom waiting for her child to tell her the truth…and I _hated_ that he still saw through me.

"I don't know why you're trying to dig deeper, man," I complained. "I thought everyone would be happy that we were on speaking terms."

"Speaking terms?" he repeated, and I knew he didn't believe a word I just said. "Is that all?"

"Why are you second-guessing all my answers?" I asked, narrowing my annoyed gaze at him.

"Because, Goode, I know you. And I know Cammie," he began. "When she followed you up from the basement that night, I could tell there was something different about her. And then things between you two changed after that."

"You notice stuff like that?" Of course, he did. He was Ryan fucking Matthews. He could read people like a book, see through all their lies like they were made of glass. It was annoying as hell.

He smirked. "Yes, I notice stuff like that," he said, teasing me. Everyone knew he noticed _everything_. "First, you both avoided us that following weekend, probably to avoid running into each other. Then, when we were camping and she snuck over to our tent with Hannah, she blushed at the sight of you, and she blushed _again_ when Hannah claimed they just wanted to visit their two favorite boys. And let's not forget, you never stopped glaring at me when she and I were partners in that chicken fight with Bex and Grant at the river."

 _Aw, shit. He knows._

"Fuck your perceptive, photographic memory," I spat at him, which only made him laugh because he knew he caught me in my web of lies.

"So?" he asked, pressing for answers. "What's with you and Cam?"

I sighed, knowing that I couldn't keep it from him anymore since he already knew. Frustrated, I dragged me hands through my hair. "I don't know, man. There's just something about her. I just can't stop thinking about her."

"Or kissing her."

 _Exactly._ Ugh, I hated myself for doing this. "Yeah."

He gave a humorless laugh and shook his head. "Shit, Zach."

"Don't tell Macey. Or Hannah. Or _anybody_."

"I won't," he promised, raising his hands in defense, "but they're all gonna find out eventually."

"No," I warned. That was the last thing that was going to happen. I'd make sure of it. "This is just a temporary thing. No one's gonna find out."

He scrunched his face in confusion. "Temporary?"

I nodded. "We're not, like, dating or anything. We're just…kissing."

Shaking his head, he told me, "You can't pull this off alone, bro."

"Are you offering to help me, Ryan?"

"Hey, you said it yourself, you're actually getting along. I'm not gonna ruin that for you guys," he told me.

 _He can't be serious, can he?_ He was actually approving of what Cammie and I were doing? Sure, it's helping us not argue, but he of all people should know what it means to get involved with a friend.

But maybe that's why he wants to help? Because he and Hannah aren't necessarily a couple either, and even though everyone knows about them, they still sneak around like they're some big secret. So, maybe he knows how fragile things like this were, and he just wants to keep it from destroying what little truce Cammie and I have going for us?

"Besides," he continued, picking up his soccer bag and hauling it over his shoulder, "you're the first guy interested in her that I approve of. I know you won't break our little Cammie's heart." He finished with a pat on my shoulder, one that felt like it held the weight of the world. I knew fully well that I could break Cammie's heart, and with that, the whole dynamic of the group would be shattered. But Ryan had faith in me, so I believed him when he said he could trust Cammie with me.

I just had to be careful.

"All right, enough acting like girls. I've got a whole soccer team already at my place waiting for a party," he said, laughing as he walked out the door.

* * *

 _Hey y'all! Hope you liked the new chapter! A lot of you have said in the past that you wanted Zach or Cammie to come clean to someone, so I threw that in there just for you (: I was thinking about him telling Grant instead, because he's a canon character and Ryan is my own, but since Ryan is "very perceptive" and seems to already know, I decided on him._

 _So, I'm currently updating this while I'm trying to watch the season premiere of The Walking Dead, and I just keep getting distracted! TWD is so intense lol._

 _Oh, also, I finished the Legend Series, like, forever ago but I forgot to mention it before, and I would TOTALLY recommend it for anyone looking for a new book/series to read. They're all really good books and the ending of the last one was so...good...! Some people were complaining about it, but I really enjoyed it (:_

 _Anyway, I'm in need of another book to read, so if y'all could help me out again...? Lol. I already read a lot of the big ones, like Mortal Instruments, The Maze Runner, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, etc. etc. (not Twilight, but I don't want to read it...sorry for those of you who like it!)._

 _okay, back to fanfic, leave a review and tell me what you thought of the chapter, as well as what you want to see in the upcoming ones! Thanks for your support and love, and stay awesome y'all (:_


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter Eleven_

 _ **{Zach}**_

I went home that night not having any recollection of Ryan's party. Not because I drank myself into oblivion, but because my mind was somewhere else—more specifically, with someone else.

There was just something about Cammie that always found its way into my thoughts; her bright, blue eyes that were so innocent and yet somehow so alluring; her sweet smile that could instantly turn my thoughts dirty with just a simple bite; her sexy curves that could bring even the strongest of men to their knees; the power over me that she didn't even know she had. All of it was fucking frustrating.

How was I supposed to protect myself from falling for Cammie when all my mind wanted to do was think about how badly I wanted her? It'd be easy to give in to the temptations and forget about our no-strings-attached deal—too damn easy—but in doing so, I could completely fuck everything up. I needed to keep my distance, which was the exact reason why currently we both had built up new walls, because when she let hers down on Sunday, I panicked and bailed. I was surprised that she wasn't mad last night like she probably should've been. But that's just what was so incredible about Cammie—she was so forgiving.

"Well, you're looking better."

I turned to Bex who had just taken a seat next to me, not at all surprised that I had been too distracted to notice her coming in.

"Glad to see the cut isn't too bad," she said, glancing at the small mark on my forehead.

Macey snorted as she took her own seat. "Looks like that thick skull of yours is good for something after all."

I gave her a sarcastic smile. "Good one. Do I even want to know what your big mouth is good for?"

"If you do, just ask Declan," she smirked at me.

 _Oh, that's fucking disgusting._ Horrified by my cousin's repulsive comment, I mumbled, "And now my ears are bleeding."

Macey laughed and argued, "Don't dish it if you can't take it, cous."

"Sorry I thought my cousin wasn't a slut."

Not surprisingly, she laughed again and just rolled her eyes. Nothing ever really fazed Macey McHenry.

"You two really are in a league of your own," Bex told us, scrunching up her face in disgust. Her attention was pulled away from us and focused on Ryan and Cammie who had just walked in, both looking slightly irritated.

Okay, scratch that. They both looked utterly _pissed_.

"Whoa. What happened to you guys?" Bex asked, noticing their matching angry expressions.

" _Someone_ thinks he can tell me who I can and can't talk to," Cammie answered with attitude, turning her back on Ryan as they both sat down at their desks.

Ryan rolled his eyes before replying, "She was talking to Lucas. Sorry if I felt the need to intervene."

Macey and Bex both went into interrogation mode, asking Cammie a thousand questions on what the hell she was thinking while I tried to not look as annoyed as I felt and keep my mouth shut. The last thing we needed right now was another fight and another reason to not trust each other.

"I was just thanking him for taking the hit for Zach. That's all," Cammie explained defensively.

"Why would you thank him? Zach got hurt, like, two seconds later anyway because he's weak," Macey argued, of course adding insult to injury. Literally.

"Nice, Mace." I shot her a glare, letting her know I didn't appreciate her comment, while also trying to listen to Cammie's answer without appearing too interested in it.

"Zach has a little scratch on the forehead while Lucas is on crutches," Cammie shot back, rolling her eyes at Macey's childishness. "You don't think that deserves to be acknowledged?"

For some reason, the way she said it bothered me. Like she thought Lucas was more of a man because he had gotten hit harder. Fuck that. Lucas was scum. He was nowhere close to being a man, much less one that deserved respect from Cammie.

"You're a better person than I am, Cam. That's for sure," Macey told her. I almost wanted to punch her head off for letting Cammie off the hook so easily, but that wouldn't have helped with anything. We all hated Lucas for what he tried to do to our friend, but no one knew that my hatred for him ran deeper than that—because it was _Cammie_ he had tried to exploit like he'd done to so many girls in the past. No one needed to know that she was special to me.

"But seriously, no more talking to him," Ryan warned, giving Cammie a hard glare that told her it wasn't up for discussion—it was an order. For a brief moment, he glanced towards me, letting me know that his warning wasn't just about protecting Cammie, but also because he knew how much it bothered me that she had spoken to him in the first place. I gave him a simple nod of thanks in return.

Cammie sighed, and with much more sarcasm than needed, she told him, "I got it the first time, dad. Is that the whole punishment or do you want to ground me, too?"

"I wish," he grumbled, complaining under his breath although we all could hear him anyway.

Bex rolled her eyes and mouthed, "Boys," to Cammie, who giggled and shook her head, obviously not intimidated by Ryan's threats. And as angry as it made me, it also turned me on. Damn it, I loved her nerve.

Our teacher signaled for everyone to quiet down and announced that we could work with a partner on the worksheet he was handing out. The girls huddled together, ignoring the fact that they had an extra person in their group than was allowed, while Ryan and I locked eyes. Usually, we would've chosen each other as our partner without even saying a single word, but Ryan had other plans this time.

"Hey, Cam, I think Zach needs a partner," he said, smirking. For someone who was incredibly perceptive, you would think he would know how to be more subtle.

"I thought you were his partner?" she asked, confused by the sudden change. I couldn't blame her considering it had always been Macey, Bex and her as one group and Ryan and myself as another. But I wasn't about to argue and pass on a chance to be close to her.

Ryan shook his head. Pointing across the room to a fairly attractive junior, he answered, "Nah. That brunette chick over there has my name written all over her."

Cammie picked up her stuff and made her way to the empty desk next to me. As she passed Ryan, he sent a wink over her shoulder in my direction. That smug little idiot.

"Do you think we should tell him Courtney has a boyfriend?" Cammie asked as she sat down, watching Ryan as he flirted with his new partner.

I laughed, thanking the universe for the perfect karma. "No way. This is more fun."

She turned to me and smiled before starting on the math problems that were due at the end of class.

I smiled, back. We were getting along. Things were looking good.

So why the _hell_ did I open my big mouth and say, "So, you were talking to Lucas, huh?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Can we please not do this right now?" she pleaded, not even bothering to look up from our worksheet. Like that was going to make me stop.

"I thought you hated him?" I prodded, knowing she wouldn't like it, but not caring enough. I wanted to know why she was wasting her time with that punk after what he did to her.

"Yeah, well, I hated you at one point, too," she argued.

My eyes narrowed. Seriously? Was she comparing me to Lucas _again_? What made me even angrier was how similar her situation with Lucas was to her situation with me—both evil dicks to her and both deserved to be hated. But just because it was true didn't mean I had to like her pointing it out.

"Is this your way of telling me you two have some side arrangement going on?" It was my attempt at making light of the situation, but there was still a small growl to my voice.

If she noticed, she didn't comment on it. Instead, she just laughed, and my anger immediately dissipated at the sound of it. "Ew, no. This is Lucas we're talking about. He's still the asshole who tried to manipulate me," she replied.

Just the mere mention of it made my blood boil, even it hadn't been simmering already. God, I really hated that guy.

But I pushed down the anger, knowing Cammie responded better to calm-Zach and not hot-headed-angry-monster-Zach. Keeping my voice steady, I asked, "So, why were you talking to him?"

Shaking her head, she answered, "I told you, I was thanking him. He's on crutches so you wouldn't be." She turned back to her paper and, changing the subject quickly, suggested, "We should probably get this done."

"Yeah," I agreed. "But before we do, there's something we need to talk about. The other night, when I ran out, I—"

"I get it, Zach. You don't have to explain," she interrupted. With a small, defeated shrug, she continued, "We've been at each other's throats ever since we met. That's not just gonna go away. If it's uncomfortable doing friendly things with each other right now, then that's fine. No big deal. I get it."

That was the second time she said she got it, but she didn't get it, because it wasn't like that at all. The reason I left wasn't because I didn't want to stay—it was because I wanted nothing more than to stay and be with her. And I had to protect myself from those very real feelings that didn't belong in our no-strings-attached deal before they ruined everything.

But her thinking she understood wasn't what bothered me about her explanation. What bothered me was that she had given up, just like that, on the idea of us being friends. Granted she did say "right now", so maybe there was still hope for the future, but how was that supposed to work if we didn't try in the present? She was right, things weren't just going to change and fix themselves, so why was she saying it's not a big deal if we didn't even try? Wasn't the goal of the arrangement to become friends? And wasn't it her idea to begin with?

"You know, I don't understand you," I told her, voicing my concerns because it needed to be done if we were ever going to figure this out. "This whole arrangement was your idea to help us become real friends, and now you're saying you don't want that?"

"I'm saying, you made it pretty clear that _you_ don't want that when you _left_ Sunday," she snapped at me. Leaning closer so that she could whisper without anyone overhearing, she continued, "You were perfectly fine with coming over to my house, being in my room, on my bed, on _me_ , but when I asked to watch a movie like real friends do, apparently, I crossed a line."

I wanted to explain, but I didn't know how. It was obvious that she thought I still hated her, or at the very least, didn't want to be friends with her. How was I supposed to explain my actions when she had it in her mind that she already knew my reasoning?

"I told you, if that's how it has to be, that's fine," Cammie sighed, and I caught a glimpse in her eye that told me maybe she wasn't as fine with it as she appeared to be.

 _Good._ Because I wasn't fine with it at all. That's not how I wanted this to be. I wanted her to know that kissing wasn't all we were doing, despite our best efforts to keep each other out and to kiss at an arm's length. Feelings were definitely getting involved whether we wanted them to or not. I wanted her to know all of that.

But I stayed silent, because Cammie wouldn't have listened. She was stubborn and liked being in control, and right now, with our emotions getting mixed in, what we were doing was anything but. She didn't believe a word she was saying, but she needed to say it so we would, once again, be pushing each other away.

There was no coming out of this as friends. I could see that, and I'm sure Cammie knew it, too. Our history was too complicated to allow us to be anything but what we already were…

Ruined.

::*::*::*::

 _ **{Cammie}**_

He said nothing. Absolutely nothing. He didn't have to say anything, though—his silence said it all.

I guess it was a good thing he didn't argue. It would've made him a liar, and that was one thing I liked about Zach—he never lied, no matter how much easier it was to do so.

That's when I knew I was right.

Zach ran out Sunday because being friends wasn't something he wanted. It was too much for him to handle. After years of belittling me and making my life miserable, it would be too hard to change. It would be too difficult to trust each other and believe that we had finally put the past behind us—that we were different people who were able to be friends and not have to spend our time arguing and hurting each other.

One time, I wore my glasses to school because I had run out of my contacts and my new ones hadn't come in yet, and although I didn't like wearing them, I didn't think I looked awful in them. But Zach did. And he wasn't scared to let me know it, either. He told me my eyes were always too big for my face, but with the glasses magnifying them, I looked like an alien-bug. I tried to ignore him since I always liked my eyes; I used to think they were my best feature. But being told they weren't, and that I didn't even look human because of them, was hard to brush off. I never wore my glasses in public again, even though my contacts hadn't come in for another two weeks. I walked around partially blind all because I was too insecure. Thanks to Zach.

Stuff like that doesn't go away, and it doesn't stop hurting even though you've moved on.

Did I really think that _that guy_ was going to change? That we'd become friends and he'd never say stuff like that to me again? Did I really believe that he _wanted_ things to change? As far as I could tell, I was the only one who ever felt hurt by our fights. Whenever I had said or done something to him, it never really fazed him. Sure, he'd get angry and deliver a blow even worse than my own, but he never seemed upset. And when I'd felt like shit because of him, he didn't even blink! Like he didn't even care. If our feud never bothered him, why would he even want it to end?

God, I was such an idiot. To honestly think that Zachary Goode and I could be friends after the past three years of fighting was insane. And to actually _fall_ for him after all the god awful things he'd done to me during that time was just complete foolishness.

I was a fucking fool to let my guard down so quickly. I basically handed him the chance to break my heart. I'm just happy we never got that far, otherwise—

"Earth to Cam."

I snapped back, happy to be away from whatever torture-ville la-la-land I had drifted off to while thinking about Zach.

"Were you even listening to me?" Macey asked, shoving her hand into her hip and narrowing her gaze.

"Um, yes?" I lied, not even sure how long I had been distracted.

I knew she didn't believe me by the look she gave, but she rolled her eyes and dropped it anyway. "You know, you've been doing that a lot lately," she stated, picking up her remote and turning the TV off.

"Doing what?"

"Spacing. Zoning out. Getting distracted." She smirked and told me, "I think someone has a new crush."

I froze for a moment, the panic clearly written across my face. She couldn't know. No one knew! But Macey wasn't just anybody—she was Queen of Gossip. She always found out the truth when she wanted to.

Seeing my panicked expression, she smiled wider. "Oh my God, you do!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Who is it?"

"Uh, don't worry about it. It's nothing," I told her, somehow managing to sound casual. As if it really was nothing.

Macey opened her mouth to argue, just like I knew she would, but I wasn't going to deal with her interrogation. Especially not when it involved her cousin.

"But—"

"Just drop it, Mace," I told her harshly. "Nothing's ever gonna happen anyway."

 _Why does that make me feel so sad?_ I shouldn't want something to happen. Not with him. For many, _many_ reasons.

"Why not?" she frowned, her forehead wrinkling.

"Because he's someone I'm not supposed to like, and who I probably shouldn't be getting involved with," I answered. I must've really wanted to be caught, because telling that to Macey, of all people, was like writing it on a sign and hanging it around my neck.

Her face transformed slowly, realization dawning on her. "Oh my God," she exclaimed, and I wished I didn't have to be on the receiving end of her disappointed face. Her voice dropped an octave lower as she whispered, "It's Lucas, isn't it?"

A rush of emotions hit me at once, but I tried not to let any of them show. How could she think I liked Lucas?! Although, it was a good thing she did instead of thinking I liked Zach. But still, _Lucas_?! As naïve and foolish as it was to like him, I couldn't tell her I didn't because her next guess just might be her cousin. And I couldn't risk it.

But admitting to crushing on Lucas was _so_ not going to happen.

"Seriously, Macey, I don't want to talk about this," I told her instead. It was the truth, after all.

"That's why you were thanking him today!" she continued like I hadn't even spoken. "It had nothing to do with him saving Zach. You just wanted an excuse!" I could see the wheels turning in her head, and I watched as pieces I didn't know existed actually fell into a logical place.

Just my luck…

"Oh, no. This is not good," she mumbled to herself. "Cammie, promise me nothing will happen between you and Lucas."

Another promise? _You have got to be kidding me!_

"Wow, Mace. You really like controlling my love life, don't you?" I asked, suddenly irritated.

"What?"

"First, you made me promise to not get involved with Zach, and now you're making me promise the same with Lucas. Is there anyone I'm allowed to like?"

"Yeah, sure. Anyone but those two," she said like it was obvious.

I'm not sure what I'd call the look I was giving her just then, but it wasn't pretty. Half-pissed, yet half-disheartened by her lack of ability to see how angry her promises were making me.

"Look," she sighed, as if explaining herself was like talking to a child. "You might think I'm being controlling, but it's for your own good. Lucas is a disgusting pig who enjoys taking advantage of and exploiting girls."

"And Zach?"

She sighed again, but this time, because she didn't want to have to say what she was about to. "I love my cousin, I really do. But he doesn't have the best track record with girls."

I started to argue that he had been with Aubree for over two years, but she cut me off, probably already aware of my argument.

"You've only known him when he was with Aubree, and I'll admit, for a brief time, I thought that maybe he had turned over a new leaf and found _the one_. But even she ended up brokenhearted, just like all the other girls."

I wondered if she knew that Aubree had cheated on him, and that she was the one who broke his heart—not the other way around. But if she had known, Aubree probably wouldn't be alive to feel _brokenhearted_ , courtesy of Macey herself.

She must've read the look of skepticism on my face, because she continued, "That first promise was to keep you from making a terrible mistake. This one is to prevent you from making the biggest mistake of your life. Your first time should be with someone you truly love and who you want to spend the rest of your life with. Not a scumbag like Lucas."

For a moment, I had forgotten that this conversation wasn't about Zach, but about my supposed crush on Lucas. The fact that the two so easily crossed lead me to believe that she thought, on some level, that Lucas and Zach were similar. The thought kind of scared me, because I couldn't say it hadn't crossed my mind, either.

"I'm just looking out for you, Cam," Macey finished, giving me a small, saddened smile. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

The unspoken ending to her statement danced around in my head.

She didn't want to see me get hurt...by Lucas or by Zach.

 _Too late._

* * *

 _Apologies for how long it took me to get this up. For some reason, this story is getting harder to write... harder to write well, at least. I hope you all are still enjoying it and that it's not becoming boring or redundant or whatever._

 _Cammie and Zach have each come to the conclusion that they are never going to be friends. What are all of your thoughts on that?! I bet some of you are pissed...but hey, there's gotta be come conflict! Lol._

 _As always, let me know what you'd like to see, and thanks for being patient with me! I'm really trying to make this story great, and I know I drop the ball on that sometimes, but for the most part I spend all my time trying to think of what will make it awesome and that takes time, unfortunately :/..._

 _Stay awesome, everyone! Your reviews are what make me want to continue, and I can't thank y'all enough for your support (:_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12**_

 _{Cammie}_

I was trying to focus on my homework, something I'd been doing every night this past week to keep my mind off a certain boy. The most aggravating part about all this drama was that there was no reason to be so obsessed with Zach. We kissed a few times and I told him the secret about my dad. That was pretty much the extent of our new _relationship_ , if you could even call it that. Other than that, we argued and fought and pushed each other away. There was no reason to be obsessing over him.

But I was, and that's why I had focused more on my homework in the past few days than I ever had in my entire life. It was starting to be exhausting.

"Knock-knock."

I turned away from my math book for the first time in over an hour and saw my dad entering my room. Just seeing him made me want to smile. He'd been home for almost a week straight and he wasn't scheduled to fly out for another ten days. Two and half weeks with my dad—that was some kind of record.

"Hey, bug. Whatcha doing?" he asked as he walked over to where I was sitting at my desk.

"Homework."

"On the weekend?" he asked, scrunching up his face like he smelled something foul.

"Life doesn't hit pause just 'cause it's the weekend, Dad," I told him, rolling my eyes as I spoke.

With a small chuckle, he said, "That's my responsible little girl," and then kissed my head.

I tried to give him a convincing smile, but even I could feel it lacking luster. It'd been hard to conjure up real happiness the past few days when all my thoughts revolved around something so stressful—despite how often I told myself it didn't make sense to fixate on what happened with Zach and me because _nothing happened_.

"Well, that's not a pretty face," my dad said, noticing my failed attempt at a smile. "What's got you down?"

"Nothing, Dad."

"I thought your mom and I taught you better than to lie." He folded his arms across his chest like he was scolding me, but I knew he was just giving me a hard time.

I sighed. I didn't want to talk to my dad about Zach, but no one else knew about us, so he was really my only option. Besides, I didn't have to tell him anything specific.

Reluctantly, I asked, "Is it possible to do something that's for the better in the long run, but is completely screwed up in the now?"

"Oh, no. What'd you do?" he asked, almost as if he didn't want to hear my answer but knew he had to because he was the parent.

"It's just hypothetical, Dad," I told him, hoping to alleviate some of the awkwardness from divulging into my love life with my _father_.

"Cammie-bug," he started, giving me a knowing smirk, "nothing is ever hypothetical with teenage girls."

A small smile crept across my face and a soft snort escaped. Leave it to Dad to make me laugh during a serious conversation.

"I made a decision that I thought was right," I explained, choosing to be more forthcoming because, like I said, I didn't have anyone else to talk about this with. "A decision that was supposed to fix things for good. But how can it fix things in the future if, right now, it completely ruined everything?"

He nodded, taking in my words and contemplating his response. "You wanna know the best thing about being human?"

"We don't get hunted in the wild?" I asked, purposely being stubborn.

"Even when you're sad, you still have a mouth on you," my dad tsked at me.

"I get that from you," I teased him, and, by how he looked at me, I could tell he didn't care for it. "Okay, fine. What's the best thing about being human?"

He gave me a soft smile, and answered, "We're allowed to make mistakes."

I realized, for the first time, that I hadn't considered what had happened to be a mistake until now. To me, it was just a big mess that I needed to figure a way out of. But calling it a mistake means there's a way to solve it—a way to go back to how things were before.

But what exactly was the mistake? Trying to push Zach into being friends and getting personal too soon, eventually scaring him off? Or telling him that we didn't have to be friends because I knew it was hard for him, even though being friends was, ultimately, what I always wanted? Or was it even before all that, coming up with the plan to kiss our problems away? Was this entire arrangement the mistake? No matter which one it was, could I even fix it? Did Zach even want it fixed?

"What if someone else is involved?" I asked my dad. "I mean, people's emotions are unpredictable. It's almost impossible to figure out how to fix things with someone else."

"Is this about a boy?" my dad asked, narrowing his eyes at me. "'Cause I'm not about to give you boy advice."

"He's just a friend, Dad." _If you could call Zach that._ Not only were we not speaking at the moment, but I didn't want to be _just_ friends.

Either I was a horrible liar, or my dad was just as perceptive as Ryan, because it was obvious he didn't believe me. I shouldn't have been surprised, though. All my life, I couldn't get away with a lie to my parents.

He looked at me for a while, and then he sighed. "It's not impossible to mend a broken relationship, Cammie-bug," he said softly. Then he patted my hands and gave me a soft smile, adding, "That doesn't mean it's easy, though. But then again, nothing of value ever is."

::*::*::*::

 _{Zach}_

As much fun as watching Ryan and Jonas play videogames was, it wasn't keeping my mind distracted like I hoped. Nothing ever did these days. More often than not, I thought about Cammie.

Cammie laughing and smiling like we had the rest of our lives to worry about how fucked up the real world is and we only had right now to enjoy ourselves.

Cammie mouthing along to whatever she was reading while she studied in class, not knowing I was watching.

Cammie's body underneath mine while I ran my hands all over her soft skin, relishing in her small moans of appreciation from my touch.

Cammie's look of betrayal when I ran out on her last Sunday after she confided in me.

Cammie telling me she didn't want to be friends because she thought that's what I wanted to hear, the wounded look in her eyes when I didn't correct her.

Every vision of Cammie flooded my thoughts at every waking hour of the day—good and bad ones. It was driving me completely fucking insane.

The doorbell rang, but no one bothered to move. Even Grant, who was making his third sandwich since we showed up an hour ago, was pretending to be too busy to answer the door.

When it rang again, without looking away from the screen, Ryan ordered, "Hey, Zach. Go get the door."

"Not my house, not my problem," I told him, slumping even further into the couch.

"My house, my rules," he said, successfully pushing me off with one swift kick, all the while still concentrating on the videogame. "Door."

I got up, cursing him as I went down the hallway and opened the front door.

 _Aw, shit. No way is this fucking happening right now._

"Hey," Aubree said, looking as caught off guard as I felt. When I didn't say anything in response, she asked, "Can we talk?"

"Uh…sure." Calling back into the house, I yelled over my shoulder, "Hey, guys? I'll be right back."

I followed her outside, closing the door behind me, and we made our way down the street in silence.

Finally, she awkwardly smiled and said, jokingly, "Sorry to crash boys-night-in."

"How'd you know where I was?" I asked, suddenly realizing she had shown up at Ryan's house looking for me.

"I stopped by your place and your mom said you weren't home," she explained. Giving a small shrug, she continued, "You and your friends were always over here so I figured this would be the next best place to look."

"You remember that?" I asked, incredulously.

She snorted. "Of course I remember. We dated for two years. I'm sure you still remember some of _my_ habits, right?"

Well, truth was, I didn't, but I wasn't going to tell her that. Instead, expertly avoiding having to answer her, I asked, "What did you want to talk about that was so important that you had to track me down at Ryan's place?"

Her smile faded and she slowed her pace to a stop in front of a random house. Looking me dead in the eyes, complete sincerity pouring out of her deep brown orbs, she told me, "I miss you, Zach."

I groaned internally, not wanting to have this conversation again. We'd had it twice already—once on the first day of school before soccer practice, and then that weekend when she called me a million times and came to my house after I ignored her—and nothing had changed since. We weren't getting back together. Not now, not ever.

When it looked like I wasn't going to say anything in return, she continued, "I think about you all the time. I think about how I hurt you, and I hate myself more and more every day for it. I'm so sorry. Cheating on you was the biggest mistake of my life."

She was being serious, which kind of weirded me out, if I was being honest. Never had I heard Aubree say things like that and actually mean them. But that didn't change the fact that she cheated on me, and I couldn't look past that betrayal and act like it never happened.

After a while of silence, I realized she was done speaking and was waiting for me to say something. I shook my head, looking for the right words, but failing. "What do you want me to say, Aubree? We've had this conversation before."

"I know, but—"

"No, Aubree. No _but_ 's. After what went down between us, I can't trust you," I explained, hoping she finally understood that we couldn't be together after the shit she pulled.

"I made a mistake," she said, her voice full of anguish and barley above a whisper. "Haven't you done something you whole-heartedly regret?"

Instantly, my mind went to Cammie. God, what _didn't_ I regret about our relationship? It seemed like every damn thing I did to her was something I wished I could take back. "Of course I have."

"So you understand why I _need_ to fix this, and why I'm trying so hard to apologize," Aubree continued with pleading eyes.

 _Apologize._ That's what I hadn't tried with Cammie. I had been trying to fix my mistake with her the wrong way. I always thought that ignoring our history was the best way to move past it, but all that did was mask her mistrust. I tried explaining and defending my behavior last Sunday when I ran out on her, but she didn't want to hear my reasoning or my excuses.

What she wanted was an apology. _That_ was how I should've fixed things with her. I should've told her I was sorry for not being truthful with her, and for running away, and for making her feel like shit more often than not. I should've told her I was sorry for everything, but instead, I hid behind excuses and lies. I didn't deserve her forgiveness after that, but I sure as hell was going to fight for it.

Pulling my thoughts away from winning Cammie back, Aubree grabbed my hand and looked up at me with desperation etched onto her stunning face. There was a slight hesitation before she spoke, and her voice had the smallest of quivers when she began. "I know things will probably never be the same between us, but do you think you will ever be able to forgive me?"

A part of me wanted to say no—that what she did was unforgivable. But if I wanted Cammie to forgive me for every awful thing I'd done to her, I had to put that karma out there first.

As much as I hated it, I squeezed her hand and said, "I forgive you, Aubree." She started to smile, relief washing over her face. But that changed quickly when I added, "But I can't be with you," as I dropped her hand.

"Why not?" she frowned.

"Because I have my own mistakes to fix."

I turned around and headed back towards Ryan's house, my thoughts racing as they focused on what I now knew I needed to do.

I didn't turn around when Aubree yelled after me (five times, I may add). I just ignored her as I hurried back and barged through the front door.

"Hey, man. What was all that about?" Jonas asked as I entered the family room where he and Ryan were still playing their dumb videogame.

I wasn't trying to be a dick, but I didn't have time to explain, so I just didn't answer. Instead, I sat down next to Ryan and grabbed the controller out of his hands.

"Dude?" he protested.

"Sorry," I told him, even though I wasn't. I had a plan to solve everything with Cammie, and Ryan had said it once before that I wasn't going to be able to pull this off alone. "I need your help with something."

::*::*::*::

 _{Cammie}_

"I don't get any of this," Ryan whined, dropping his open text book into his lap. Upon his request, I was helping him study since Chemistry didn't seem to be his strong suit, and after spending mere minutes tutoring him, it was quite clear he wasn't going to grow up to be a scientist. "Why do I have to know the atomic weight of all the elements? When am I even gonna use it?"

"On the test next week," I teased him.

His eyes grew wide and he sat up straighter. "There's a test next week?" he asked, panic etching every inch of his face and drenching every word

I laughed, enjoying watching him squirm. "You're probably never going to need it in real life after school, but for this class it's necessary," I advised him.

He sighed and slumped back, sinking into the cushions of his couch in a huff. "Let's take a break," he suggested, pushing his book onto the floor and standing up quickly.

"Seriously?" I asked from the floor where I was reading my Chem book. "We just started."

He gave me a pointed look and reached out his hand for me to take.

"Okay, fine. Let's take a break," I reluctantly agreed, taking his hand and allowing him to pull me to my feet. "I'll make us some sandwiches."

Ryan followed me into his kitchen, grabbing ingredients from the fridge and handing them over to me. While I began assembling our food, he leaned against the counter and watched me with knowing eyes.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime of him just staring, he said, "So, I talked to Macey the other day."

I wanted to groan in frustration, but I refrained. I tried to play it off like I had no idea what he was talking about, and nonchalantly, asked, "Talked to her about what?"

He chuckled, and I knew he saw through me. "You know what," he told me. "Apparently, you have a crush on Lucas?"

This time, I did groan. I couldn't help it, I was so annoyed—with myself, with Macey, and with the whole stupid situation. Frustrated, I mumbled to myself, "Why does she have such a big mouth?"

"Really, Cam? Lucas?" he asked, a cross between a look of disappointment and disgust formed on his face as he watched me continue to make our sandwiches, albeit a little more aggressively than before.

I avoided his eyes as I thought through how I should respond and what I should tell him. I couldn't tell him the truth for the same reason I couldn't tell Macey the truth—if they knew I wasn't crushing on Lucas, then they'd start to wonder who it was that had me so obsessed, and they just might happen to assume it was Zach.

"It's none of your business, Ryan," I snapped at him. I reached over for a slice of ham and he grabbed my arm, stopping it in its tracks.

"I know you don't have a crush on Lucas," he told me sternly. "What I don't know is why you didn't just tell Macey that."

I sighed and rubbed my hands over my face. "Because I'm an idiot," I whined.

Again, he just watched me the way Ryan always did when he was trying to read into something, and I wished I could read his mind as easily as he seemed to read everyone else's. Maybe then I'd know how he seemed to know everything with just a look.

Leaning against the counter again, he quickly changed the subject. "Hey, you coming to movie night tomorrow?" he asked, his voice much lighter than before.

I had been avoiding this topic with everyone all week because I still hadn't decided if I was going to go. It was one thing to avoid Zach at school, but it was damn near impossible to do so when the group was all together. "Uh, yeah. Maybe," I told him, trying to keep my voice even, although I knew it was no use when it came to Ryan.

" _Yeah_ and _maybe_ are two different answers," he pointed out, calling me on my bullshit response. "So, which is it?"

"Maybe," I told him truthfully. "Who's all going?"

He gave me a weird look, like he couldn't believe I just asked that, and I couldn't blame him. Movie night was tradition within our group—who did I _think_ was going to be there?

"Oh, you know, just some people you may have heard of," he started, being more of a jackass than was necessary. "Bex, Liz, Grant, Macey, Declan, Jonas, Hannah, me of course…"

I rolled my eyes at his annoying sarcasm that I didn't appreciate.

"Oh, and him," he added, nodding his chin in the direction behind me.

I jerked my head around, my spine straightening in shock.

Zach Goode stood there in Ryan's living room with his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans, the sleeves of his black shirt rolled up to the elbows. When our eyes locked, he greeted me with a small tilt of his head and a timid half-smile.

My head was pounding. What the hell was going on? How did I not hear him come in through the front door? And why was he here to begin with?

I spun back towards Ryan, hoping to get an answer from him without having to ask him out loud.

He must've seen the confusion on my face, because he nodded towards the boy behind me again and said, "Looks like you two need to talk." He went to leave to give us space, but I grabbed his arm as he passed and stopped him.

"You knew?" I asked him in a hushed whisper, finally able to see what was going on.

He smirked, and that was all the confirmation I needed.

A brief moment of relief washed over me, but it was quickly replaced by fear. If Ryan knew, that meant others might know, too, and the next person to have the ability to sniff out a secret was the last person I wanted to know about Zach and me. "Does Macey know?" I asked with a small hint of panic.

His smile faded and he shook his head.

The relief was back, but again, it only lasted a moment.

Ryan's concerned face was enough to make my blood run cold. "Some advice, Cam. Make sure you know what you're doing. Be careful, okay?" he told me, his voice grave and somber.

"We will," I promised. "Macey's never gonna find out."

"That's not what I'm talking about," he corrected, and the look he gave me was one even I could read clearly.

He was trying to warn me about developing feelings for Zach, or at the very least, warn me about how to handle them.

"Don't worry," I told him. "It's not real, Ryan."

"Are you sure about that?"

 _For once, I'd like to be able to tell a convincing lie. Is that too much to ask?_ How the hell could he see that I had already started to fall for Zach? I wouldn't even admit it to myself, so how the _hell_ could he catch onto it?! Damn Ryan for knowing everything, and for calling me out on my lies when I needed to believe they're the truth.

"I know what I'm getting myself into," I admitted. "I'll be fine." I was more determined to make sure that one was true.

Looking over my shoulder, he sighed and shook his head, like I wasn't understanding what he was trying to tell me. He took a step closer to me, his mouth right next to my ear, and whispered, "It's not just you I'm worried about."

::*::*::*::

Ryan walked away, and I wanted to strangle him with my bare hands. You can't just tell me to be careful with my feelings, and that the boy I have said feelings for may have them, too, and then leave me alone with said boy! Oh, I should've strangled him when I had the chance. But I couldn't because I was in shock and couldn't move. Not even when he was gone and Zach was taking his place in front of me.

I looked up at him, unsure of what to say, or if I should say anything.

"Hey," he started, looking down at me like I was a lion about to pounce and he was a gazelle. For the first time ever, he was nervous. _Good_. At least I wasn't the only one uncomfortable.

"Hi," I greeted back, wrapping my arms around myself and rubbing out the goosebumps that covered me. Even when I knew it shouldn't, my body still reacted to him with such desire.

He hesitated, taking a deep breath before swallowing away his nerves. "I'm sorry, Cam," he said, and I could hear how uneasy being vulnerable was making him.

"What?" I asked in shock. I was expecting him to try to charm his way out like I'd seen him do a million times before. I had even prepared myself for all his little tricks so that they wouldn't work on me this time. But I hadn't prepared for him to _apologize_.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "For everything I've ever said and done to you. I don't know if you've noticed, but I've been a real jackass to you. Like, just an awful person," he said, trying to relieve some of the tension from the seriousness of his words. "And I've always known that, but it wasn't until recently that I realized how wrong it was."

"How recent?" I asked, my gut telling me I already knew the answer.

I didn't think it was possible for him to look any more uncomfortable, but I guess it was because his face twisted and he almost looked like he was in pain while looking me in the eyes. "Last Sunday."

 _When he ran out on me._ That's why he freaked out? Because he realized what a jerk he'd been to me all those years?

He started speaking again, but this time, he sounded more frantic, like his thoughts were getting mixed up and were all over the place. "It's just that you were looking at me like I was your hero because you could trust me with the secret about your dad, which by the way, isn't that big of a deal. I mean, we all know he's gone a lot, and we don't talk about it. What makes you think that's gonna change just because we know his profession?"

He shook his head as if trying to clear all the jumbled thoughts away and get back to why he was here, apologizing to me in Ryan's kitchen when we hadn't even spoken in eight days. "But that's beside the point. The point is…I don't deserve to be your hero," he finished, his eyes defeated and his voice touched with sadness.

For some reason, his confession made me feel a sense of gloom, too.

"At least I _didn't_ deserve to be," he corrected himself. "I don't want to be that guy anymore. I want to be the guy that deserves to be looked at like…Well, like how you're looking at me right now."

I didn't know how I was looking at him, but there was a glimmer of hope on his face that told me my face was telling all sorts of secrets he wasn't supposed to know. I turned away, praying he couldn't see the blush that was rising to my cheeks. "I don't understand. What changed?" I asked him, confused more than ever on what was happening between us. "You ran off Sunday because I was looking at you like a hero, and now you're saying that's what you want?"

He nodded, laughing nervously. "Yes. The goal was for us to become friends. That was the deal I made because that's what I wanted. But I fucked it up. So, now I'm trying to fix it," he explained, his eyes begging me to listen. "I'm sorry for running out, but I never meant to hurt you. I swear."

My traitorous body tingled with excitement at his words, but my brain was telling me not to trust it. A mix of elation and anxiety built up within me, and I didn't know which emotion to trust more. "Zach," I started with a sigh, "I'm sorry, I know you're trying to change or whatever, but that doesn't erase our history. How can I trust that history won't repeat itself?"

Despite my obvious distress, Zach still smirked at me. "Cammie, you can't live in the past," he said with that Goode charm I was worried he'd use against me.

"I'm not. I'm thinking about the future," I argued, resisting the natural attraction my body had for him. "About what could happen if we continue down this road."

"Either way, you're not enjoying the present," he disputed. "It's always scary taking risks, but I think our friendship might be worth this one."

I searched his face for a reason not to believe in his sincerity—for the tiniest hint of a lie. But nothing. He meant what he said, and a reluctant smile tugged on my lips. He was right—if I constantly worried about what might happen in the future, or I never let go of the past, I wasn't living and enjoying what was happening in the present. And with Zach looking at me like all he wanted was to reach out and pull me to him, I _really_ wanted to enjoy the present.

"Maybe if you say it one more time, I'll forgive you," I teased him, taking a small step forwards to where our bodies were within touching distance.

He laughed softly. Looping his arms around my middle, he closed the space between us and drew me into his muscled chest. His nose skimmed across my cheekbone and he hovered his lips gently over mine, but he didn't kiss me. "I'm sorry," he repeated one last time.

This time, I laughed softly. "All right. I guess we can work on our issues," I teased with an over-exaggerated sigh.

"You _guess_?" He nipped at my bottom lip, playing with me with a tiny sting from where his teeth dug into my flesh.

"Okay, okay, you win," I giggled. "I forgive you."

He thrusted his hand into my hair, holding me tight against him. "Much better." He dipped his head and captured my mouth with his, his tongue gaining access almost immediately. My body tingled with goosebumps and my heart pound hard against my ribcage. God, I loved kissing this boy.

Zach must've been able to feel my body's reaction to him, because he chuckled against my lips before pulling back. "Nervous?" he asked, his mouth brushing against mine.

I shook my head, and for the first time, I told him how I truly felt. "Excited," I told him truthfully. Then I reached around his neck and pulled him closer, lacing our mouths together again.

"Okay, no more making out in my kitchen," Ryan's voice echoed from the living room, a hint of teasing laced in with his seriousness. "Seriously, that's where we make our food."

I giggled into Zach's shoulder, hiding my embarrassed face from Ryan, and I could feel Zach's body vibrate from his laughter as he hugged me to him.

"We're leaving, don't worry," he told Ryan as he ushered me through the house and towards the front door.

As we exited the house, me feeling completely mortified and yet still able to find the humor in the totally humiliating situation, I heard Ryan yell behind us, "Hey, Cam! Thanks for the sandwich!"

* * *

 _Ho. Ly. Crap. This one took me forever! I feel like I say that for every chapter lol. But seriously guys, I tried so hard to get a lot of stuff packed into this one because I didn't want to keep y'all waiting any longer for Zach and Cammie to make up, but because I didn't want to drive up the word count, it took me a while to figure out how to say what I wanted with as little words as possible._

 _But I hope y'all liked it anyway! Let me know what you guys thought about this chapter and where you want to see their relationship go for the upcoming ones! I know I'm going to get a lot of questions on this, so I'll tell you now, no they are not a couple. They simply came to an agreement that they could put the past behind them and let the pieces fall where they may. They're not going to try to control things so much anymore, so here's really where things kind of lighten up and they start enjoying each other's company instead of trying to protect themselves (:_

 _Thanks for reading, and thanks to all who review! It means a lot (: Stay awesome guys ((:_

 _Oh, and I hope y'all in the U.S. had an awesome Thanksgiving!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter Thirteen_

 _ **{Zach}**_

"I think it should be pink," Hannah exclaimed excitedly.

I groaned, because seriously? They wanted me to present something pink? I turned to Jonas and whined, "How did we get stuck doing this girly shit?"

He gave a small shrug and answered simply, "We're outnumbered."

It was true. Hannah, Cammie, and Liz outnumbered Jonas and myself for our chemistry project, so whenever we took to voting to make important decisions, whatever the girls wanted, the girls got.

But I drew the line at anything pink.

"Hey, we let you choose our experiment," Hannah argued, obviously upset that I refused to allow pink on the trifold.

"No, you let Jonas choose our topic," I corrected her. "And Liz helped!"

"Well, if your ideas didn't _suck_ , we would've let you choose," Cammie told me, practically spitting the words at me.

I folded my arms and glared at her. All for show, of course. Even her snarky comment was to throw our friends off our trail. We'd been sneaking around for a little over a month, and after we kissed and made up for me running out and almost ruining everything a few weeks back, things had been going great. We were no longer uncomfortable, and it seemed like our little plan was actually working—we hadn't argued or fought since that first time, and she was quickly becoming one of my favorite people. She was beautiful _and_ smart—of course, I already knew that. After getting to actually know her, I learned she was also witty, bubbly, and affectionate. _Very_ affectionate, when she wanted to be, which I never complained about.

When no one was looking, she sent me a playful wink paired with a wicked smile.

Damn, she didn't know how tempting she was, which made me want her even more.

I tried ignoring the enticement, but _not_ thinking about Cammie's sexiness what proving to be very difficult. For one thing, she was sitting so close to me, wearing a silky shirt that clung to every inch of her, and her perfume mingled evocatively with her natural scent and had me constantly inhaling deeply just to catch the aroma of it over and over.

"Fine," I said, reminding myself that we were in public, and what we did behind closed doors was a private matter—one that nobody even knew about. "So, what am I supposed to do? What's my job in this project?"

"Your job is to be the pretty face and present our project to the class," Liz ordered, writing down every last detail about our experiment in her journal—probably as a guideline for me on what to say during the presentation next week.

"Uh, no," Hannah stated, sounding offended. "That's my job. I'm the pretty face."

Liz sighed and looked up. She looked like she was already tired with the conversation, as if they had been over this a million times and Hannah still just wasn't getting it. "You," she started, looking directly at Hannah and shoving her pencil in her face, "are the pretty face that doesn't talk. Zach will give the presentation and you will just stand there and look good."

Hannah's face scrunched as she considered Liz's words. Then, she nodded and said, "Okay, I can do that."

"Don't mess it up," Cammie told her, giving her a hard time. "Our grade on this depends on how great you look."

I stifled a smile. I loved Cammie's feisty side.

Hannah must not have caught the sarcasm in Cammie's voice, because she held her chin up high and confidently replied, "Then prepare to get the best grade of your life."

Mixed responses came from the group, but no one bothered bursting her bubble. Instead, Liz and Jonas snorted and shook their heads, silently laughing at her, while Cammie and I met gazes and bite back our smiles.

It was times like those, where we were able to act like real friends without the awkwardness that used to follow, that I especially loved about our time together. Sure, kissing Cam was amazing, but nothing could compare to the warm feeling I got when we locked eyes and just smiled, saying a million things without speaking a single word.

Before anyone caught us, I looked away, as much as I hated doing it. Casually, I asked everyone, "Do you guys want to come over tonight and work on the trifold?"

"Sure," Cammie replied almost immediately. A faint blush hit her cheeks as she looked away guiltily, probably hoping no one noticed how quick she was to say yes.

If they did, they didn't say anything.

"Can't," Hannah answered, with a roll of her eyes. "I'm grounded."

"I can't either," Jonas added. "I'm babysitting my brother."

"Liz?" I asked, keeping my voice calm and void of any excitement I had at the possibility of Cammie and I having the house to ourselves.

"I'm going to dinner with my parents," she explained.

Refraining from smiling at that moment was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but I managed to look at Cammie with a neutral facial expression. "Looks like it's just you and me tonight," I told her, praying my voice wasn't as husky as it felt.

Her blush from before darkened, and I could tell what was going through that pretty head of hers, mainly because the same dirty thoughts were running through mine as well. When her eyes darkened with want and desire, I could feel all my muscles tightening as they abstained from reaching out and grabbing her right then and there. _Fuck me. Shit—no! No thoughts of fucking. Just breathe. Focus on breathing. Not fucking._

"You two alone?" Hannah snorted in mockery, helping me calm the hormones that had been kicked into overdrive. "This'll be good."

"Yeah, better keep your phone close by," Cammie told her, doing a much better job at seeming nonchalant than I was. "I might need your help hiding the body," she teased, her voice laced with laughter.

Despite telling myself not to, I chuckled. The images of what the night might entail for Cammie and me were probably completely different in our friends' minds than our own, and they had no clue how wrong they were.

::*::*::*::

 _ **{Cammie}**_

That afternoon, I laid on Zach's living room floor, adding some finishing touches to our trifold. Although my back was to him while he sat on the couch behind me, I knew Zach was watching me intently. That was all he'd been doing since I started on the dumb poster.

"I can feel you staring at me, you know," I finally told him. Looking over my shoulder, I saw that I was right, and I flashed a smile.

He grinned back, but his was much naughtier than mine had been, his eyes traveling down the backside of my body. "Well, I wasn't trying to be covert about it," he said, his gaze settling on my face again.

I giggled and shook my head, sitting up to get a better look at the almost-completed trifold that I had spent the last two-and-a-half hours on.

Zach slid off the couch and rested next to me on the floor, his arm tactically stretched out along the seat behind me, his hand brushing my shoulder.

The silence between us grew, and he was getting impatient while I continued to work on our presentation, pretending to ignore him.

Finally, when he became too restless, I heard him call my name. "Hey, Cam, look at this."

I turned to look at whatever it was he wanted me to see, but instead I turned right into Zach's lips as he gave me a small peck.

He smirked like I'd seen him do a million times before. "Gotcha."

I laughed, unable to hide my giddiness. "You're ridiculous," I scolded him, despite the smile on my face.

"I've been wanting to do that all afternoon," he told me, wrapping his arms around my body and pulling me into him. "But you've been too busy doing homework to pay attention to me."

Sinking into his side, I explained, defensively, "It had to be done." I pointed to the finished product and asked, "What do you think?"

"Wow," he exclaimed when he actually looked at it, probably for the first time that afternoon. "Impressive."

I smiled proudly, looking up at him from where I was nestled into his side as his arms draped possessively around me. "And no trace of pink on it," I teased.

A small smile of his own slowly slipped across his lips as he leaned forward and planted them on mine. Something about this kiss was different than our others. It wasn't gentle or playful, but it wasn't rough or heated either. It was almost as if he kissed me just because he wanted to—like he didn't even know he was going to do it until he had.

His fingers moved to rest beneath my chin, as if he was afraid I was going to turn away from him. The lightness to his touch was breathtaking, and I felt myself gasp slightly in response.

In an instant, like my gasp had woken up his senses, he pressed his lips to mine even harder, plunging his hand into my hair and holding me against him. This was the type of kiss we were used to—fast, ravenous, greedy. As if it were our last and we needed to drink up every last bit of it. The kind of kiss that stimulates all your hormones until you feel a high. The kind of kiss that wipes your mind blank, it's so intense. It was easier that way—the soft, gentle kisses were the kind that held meaning, something we both agreed didn't belong in our arrangement.

He shifted us, gently grabbing a hold of my leg and moving it to where he could slip between it and the other one. He started to slowly lower me to my back when our lust-filled haze was broken by a ringing phone.

Cursing under his breath, he jumped up and stormed off into the kitchen, where I assumed the ringing was coming from.

I followed him, passing through the dining room where, spread out along the table, was a puzzle. The box sat up as a frame of reference, so I could see what it would look like once finished—five dogs, all different breeds, lined up in tall grass in front of a small body of water, like a puddle maybe, against a bright clear sky—although whoever was putting it together had barely even begun doing so.

Somehow, among the five-hundred pieces, I was able to find the next one that made up the half-finished border. While Zach was on the phone, I continued to put pieces together until the border was fully completed.

I didn't know he'd entered the room until I felt his hands at my hips, trapping me against the table's edge.

"What are you doing?" he asked tenderly, his voice low and seductive as he leaned down to plant a soft kiss on my shoulder before nuzzling his face into my hair.

"A puzzle." Oh, man, my voice was drenched with desire as his hands continued their caress along my sides. As I spoke, my head tipped to the side on it's on volition, allowing him better access.

"Anything to keep you away from me, huh?" he mumbled into my exposed skin before chuckling and pulling back.

The brush of his lips sent shivers down my spine, and goosebumps immediately broke out along my arms. Noticing, Zach rubbed his hands up and down the bare skin to warm them up, and I doubted he had the slightest clue that he was the cause of the chill. Over a month together and it seemed that my body only continued to grow more and more responsive to his touch.

"Who was on the phone?" I asked, ignoring the temptation that stood behind me, his muscled chest flat against my back.

"My mom," he answered calmly. "She was asking about dinner."

As I grabbed another piece to add to the picture, Zach moved to stand beside me, watching me as I worked. Once again.

"Do you like puzzles?" he asked, grabbing a piece of his own and seeing if it fit with what I had already put together. It didn't.

I shrugged. "If I'm in the mood."

"My mom loves them."

I reached for one of the pieces that made up the Bulldog's paw, my hand bumping into his as he went for it, too. I apologized, abandoning the piece and deciding to grab a different one, one that belonged to the grass at the bottom of the puzzle. Again, his hand knocked into mine as we both reached for the same piece. This time, I glanced at him, but he didn't notice. I moved my hand to another random piece and he followed, snatching the piece off the table before I had a chance to.

"What are you doing?" I chuckled.

"Putting together a puzzle," he answered, feigning innocence.

I tried one more time to grab a piece, but he stole it from me again. Genuinely laughing, I repeated, "Seriously, what are you doing?"

"Seriously, putting together a puzzle," he said again, this time grinning, unable to hide his amusement any longer. Holding the plain blue piece out to me, he asked, "What do you think? Sky or water?"

I took the tiny piece out of his hand, our fingers brushing as I grabbed it. "I think it's water," I said after analyzing it.

His arm brushed across my body as he reached for another piece. "And this one?" he asked again. "Sky or grass?"

I giggled. "Definitely grass," I told him. I grabbed the new piece, too, knowing he was doing all of this just to give us an excuse to touch. As if we needed it.

"What about this?" he asked one last time, reaching past where I stood with the arm furthest from me so that his body came between mine and the table, our chests touching slightly. He paused before picking up the piece, looking down at me for a second.

I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks as they flushed a royal red under his gaze.

His eyes dropped to my lips, his forming into a smirk. Finally, he held out the last piece for me to examine. "Which dog do you think it is?"

I looked at it briefly, immediately knowing the white fur and black spot belonged to the Dalmatian. I glanced up at him again and I saw the recognition on his face as well. But he simply looked at me as if he was waiting for my final say.

"Hmmm," I pretended to ponder. "Here. Let me check the box." I took the piece and leaned over the table to where the box sat, holding the piece up to the picture to _compare_ where it belonged. Doing so, I arched my back, feeling my pants hug my ass as I stuck it out noticeably. The motion pulled my shirt up slightly, revealing a hint of my lower back.

Zach's eyes moved over my curves, assessing every inch of me. He was obviously restraining himself—from jumping me, from touching me, from even moving towards me. Every muscle of his was clenched tight in self-control as I tortured him.

And I loved it. I loved that I could turn him on like a lamp in a dark room.

I straightened and turned back around, holding the piece out to him. "I couldn't figure it out," I told him, playing dumb since it was so clear what dog the puzzle piece belonged to. "Now, we'll never finish it." I pouted with a dramatic sigh.

"I guess that means we're done with the damn puzzle?" he asked as he stalked toward me, his movements fluid and sensual, but at the same time menacing, like a cheetah stalking its prey.

I bit back a smile, still enjoying how aroused I made him. _This is how he must feel when my body reacts to his touch_. It was empowering, knowing you had that much control.

I nodded, but I didn't say anything. I didn't need to—he could see that I was ready to abandon the puzzle and get back to where we were before the stupid phone call interrupted us.

" _Good_ ," he growled.

And the next thing I knew, he grabbed my face and kissed me hungrily, to which I gladly returned the favor.

* * *

 _Hey y'all! So, the holidays are always a busy time for me, so I apologize that it's taken me a little while to get this out, but I finally did! Yay!_

 _I'm kind of a really big fan of this chapter. It's pretty simple, no drama, and nothing too serious, but I think that's why I like it so much (: Let me know what you guys think!_

 _You guys are so great, I absolutely love all of your reviews. Every time I get an update that a review has been left, it makes my day (: Keep up the awesome support, that's the only thing that keeps me going! Thanks, and stay awesome (:_

 _Happy Holidays!_


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter Fourteen_

 _ **{Zach}**_

Thanks to Cammie's amazing poster and Liz's notecards, Hannah and I were able to give a rather impressive presentation. And the look of admiration on Cammie's face when our teacher announced our perfect grade was more than rewarding, although I couldn't complain about the heavy make-out session later that night, either.

Friday night, we were all gathered in Ryan's basement for our weekly movie night, but somehow we all decided to skip the movie this time and just hang out. Hannah and Macey had begged the guys to teach them how to play pool, even though every time we've offered to in the past, they flat-out rejected us. Grant and Declan had taken on that responsibility, while Ryan and Jonas managed to convince Liz to let them teach her how to play one of Ryan's violent video games.

I was glad to not have been roped into doing anything, especially since it meant that I got to lounge on the couch with Cammie while everyone else was distracted doing something.

"Okay," Jonas started, showing Liz how to control her avatar using the controller. "So, now if you push this, it'll activate the H10-24, and then you can—"

"Wait, it'll activate the _what_?" Liz asked, completely perplexed, and not for the first time that night.

"H10-24," Jonas repeated with a sigh. "We've been over this, Liz. Keep up."

Cammie giggled beside me, leaning in close to speak so no one else could hear. "They'd make a cute couple. Don't you think?" she asked, her body pressing into my side. Since our little arrangement started over a month back, she and I had actually become rather close, so I couldn't tell if the gesture was just her casually leaning in to whisper, or if she was purposefully trying to flirt with me. Couldn't say I minded either way considering it gave me the perfect view of her cleavage (which I tried to be a gentleman and not look at, but I'm only human).

I shrugged and whispered back, "Who knows? Maybe they're already secretly hooking up?"

She laughed and slapped my chest with the back of her hand. I watched her laugh for a brief second, then turned away before I was caught staring.

A few more minutes of watching Liz epically fail at whatever game she and Ryan were playing had passed before Cammie asked me if I could get her a drink from upstairs.

Without even thinking, I agreed. "Yeah, sure. Water?" I clarified, to which she nodded.

Smiling, she uttered a _thanks_.

Heading towards the stairs, I announced to everyone that I was getting drinks and asked if anyone wanted anything. A few of them shouted their orders, which was more than I was hoping for considering I only had two arms.

"I'll come help," Bex said, standing up from watching the pool game between Macey and Declan, and Grant and Hannah.

"So, I have a quick question," she stated once we were upstairs and pouring out everyone's drinks. "Do you know if Cammie's single?"

"Why would I know that?" I asked casually, avoiding her eyes.

"You guys have gotten pretty close lately," she answered, giving a small shrug. There wasn't a smirk on her face, or any hint to hidden implications to her words, so I assumed that, to her, she was just stating a fact.

I mimicked her shrug, hoping I seemed just as unconcerned as she did. "We've just been getting along," I corrected her, finishing up with the last drink. "Doesn't mean we stay up late, painting each other's nails and swapping secrets."

 _We've just been staying up late, making out and swapping secrets._

"Just thought I'd ask," Bex said, not spilling any more details than that.

But I was curious, especially considering Cammie wasn't exactly _not_ in a relationship. I mean, we were kind of together in an informal way.

So, I decided to do some prodding and asked, "Why do you wanna know if she's single or not?"

"There's a new guy in my English class who's pretty cute. I think they'd be good together," she answered, smiling.

I pushed away feelings of anger that arose at her words (which I refused to admit were probably more along the lines of jealousy than actual anger). "Don't you remember what happened last time she tried to date a guy?" I asked harshly. "Does the name _Lucas Grey_ ring a bell?"

Bex rolled her eyes. "Lucas is an ass," she told me, and I couldn't have agreed more. "But Josh seems really sweet."

My grip on the cup I was holding tightened more than necessary, and I silently scolded myself when her gaze dropped to where my white knuckles clutched the endangered glass.

"Zach, relax," she advised me, taking the drink away from me before it broke in my hand. "Josh couldn't hurt a fly."

"Have you talked to the guys about this?" I asked, knowing they just might be my saving grace in this situation. All four of us (excluding Declan, because I really don't think he has a clue what goes on within the group outside of his and Macey's relationship) were cautious when it came to potential boyfriends for Cammie, and considering we were just bouncing back from the whole Lucas-incident, I highly doubted the other three were going to be any more thrilled than I was about this Josh guy.

Bex gave me a sheepish grin, and my hopes brightened just a tad. "Well, no, but—"

"You know how they get, Bex," I interrupted, more than happy to be deflecting responsibility away from myself.

"As I recall, _you're_ the one who threatens people," she argued, shoving a hand into her hip and cocking an eyebrow at me accusingly.

"And Ryan and Grant are the ones who follow through," I told her truthfully, watching her mood deflate. "They're not gonna like it."

"Well, why don't we go see?" she scoffed, despite her knowing that I was right.

I motioned for her to lead the way, positive the boys weren't going to agree to allowing Cammie to date this Josh kid who none of us even knew.

Bex flounced back down the stairs with purpose, her head held high as if she wasn't about to be royally shut down. She handed out the drinks she had been carrying, saving Cammie for last.

"So, Cam," she started, offering her the glass of water. "There's this guy in my English class that I think you'd really like."

"Oh, yeah?" Cammie asked, sneaking a glance at me. I tried to keep my face relaxed, as if her reaction, whatever it may be, didn't bother me.

"His name is Josh, and he seems really sweet," Bex explained, her grin growing. "He picked up my water bottle for me after I dropped it, and then he opened the door for me when we were leaving."

"Sounds like he's pretty into _you_ , Bex," Cammie laughed. I was in awe of how casual she sounded and how effortlessly she turned the attention off of herself.

Bex just waved her words away as if they didn't even matter. "Even if he is, I have a feeling he'll forget all about me when you two meet."

Cammie's smile faltered, and she suddenly looked as uncomfortable as I felt. "Like a date?" she asked.

Our British friend nodded, obviously feeling very triumphant since none of the guys had butted in yet, much to my dismay. "So? What do you say?" Bex asked, poking Cammie's arm playfully.

"Uh," Cammie stammered, looking around to all the guys, silently pleading for one of them to jump in at any time. I would've gladly been that guy if my heart hadn't been pounding so hard that I was sure everyone could hear it, causing my voice to catch in my throat.

"Wait," Grant finally said from the pool table behind us. "Is this that Josh Abrams kid?"

"Yeah..." Bex's smiled faded and she gave me a worried glance, one that I couldn't empathize with.

"He seems pretty cool," Grant replied with a nod, then returned back to shooting the cue ball.

 _What the fuck?_ Outrage and disbelief begun to stir within me, both vying for dominance. I decided to settle on outrage, feeling my face burn red with fury as I glared at my supposed best friend.

"Oh, yeah. He's in my Physics class," Jonas announced from the floor beside Liz. "He's a pretty good guy. Bex is right, Cam, you should meet him."

Cammie was as shocked as I was pissed at their approval, and it was visibly noticeable as she sat with her mouth agape.

"You guys are…cool with Cam dating someone?" Hannah asked, joining us in front of the TV, obviously surprised.

When Grant and Jonas nodded, Cammie turned to Ryan, probably hoping that he would disapprove since he knew about our arrangement. "Ryan?" she asked, her voice soft and pleading.

For a brief second, Ryan looked at me worriedly, but he pulled himself together before anyone noticed and cleared his throat. "Maybe it's time we stop trying to control your love life," he told her. "You deserve to be happy."

Hannah nudged him with her foot and shot him a look. Ryan must've told her about Cammie and me, which I should've been annoyed at, but I was too pissed about him giving Cammie the green light with Josh to care.

Finally, Cammie turned to me, her blue eyes wide with concern. "Zach?" she asked, and my heart ached at the desperation in her voice.

From across the room, Declan scoffed. "Like you really care what _Zach_ thinks," he laughed, and Macey actually joined him.

Cammie ignored him. "Zach…" she repeated, urging me to give her an answer.

Of fucking course I wanted to tell her no, I wasn't cool with it, but I knew I couldn't say that in front of everyone. I wasn't even sure if I could say it to her at all. What we were doing was just for fun. I had no right to tell her she wasn't allowed to date someone, especially if she actually wanted to. Especially if it had the potential to make her happy like Bex assumed it would.

I sighed. "Ryan's right," I told her, looking her right in her eyes. "You deserve to be happy." _Even if it's not with me._

Her eyes softened, as if she heard the unspoken ending. She looked like she wanted to say something, but decided against it. Instead, she sighed, turned to Bex and said, "Okay. I'll meet him."

And I could've sworn that my heart fractured a bit.

::*::*::*::

Cammie claimed to not be feeling well not long after agreeing to a date with _Josh Abrams_ , and she'd asked if I could drive her home, even though our friends usually didn't start to leave movie night until around one in the morning which was still hours away.

I, being the sucker that I am, agreed to take her back to her place, well aware that a part of me was hoping she wanted to fool around before sending me home. But the fact that she'd be on a date in the near future with some other guy hung in the air, and needless to say, it killed the mood.

"You okay?" Cammie asked, eyeing me as I drove quietly. She'd been watching me the whole drive, probably trying to decide if she should say something or not. Usually, when we were in the car together, I would seek out her hand, or sneak a glance, or rest my palm on her thigh. But this time, I kept my hands to myself and my eyes on the road, refusing to admit to myself that I was disappointed, and maybe even jealous.

"Fine," I told her, my voice extremely tight as I fought away my emotions. "You're the one who's not feeling well, remember?"

Her face twisted, obviously not expecting for me to sound as pissed and bitter as I was. "Zach, I—"

"We're here," I interrupted as I pulled into her driveway, annoyed with the entire situation. I was angry at Bex for trying to set Cammie up on a date. At Grant and Jonas for being so accepting of Josh right away. At Ryan for not having my back, despite it seeming suspicious if he didn't have a true reason to reject the date. At Cammie for agreeing to go on the damn date.

But mainly, I was angry at myself for not telling her that I _really_ didn't want her to go like the fucking wimp I was. I hadn't told her my thoughts or feelings the past three years, so why I thought I would be able to now was beyond me.

Although I had parked the car and refused to look at her, Cammie still hadn't moved to leave. "I won't go on the date if you don't want me to," she sighed.

"It's not my decision, Cammie," I told her reluctantly. "If you want to go, you should go."

Turning in her seat to face me, she exclaimed, "You know I don't want to go. I only agreed to it to appease our friends, and so that they didn't get suspicious of…" she hesitated for a moment, taking a breath before continuing. "Us," she finished, and I wondered if the single word held as much meaning for her as it did for me. When she realized I wasn't going to answer, she reached across the center console and grabbed my hand from my lap, lacing her fingers through mine.

I looked down at our adjoining hands, feeling the same spark I'd always felt with her, hating and loving it all at the same time. My gaze traveled up to her face, a small, nervous smile spreading across her lips.

"I don't want to date Josh," she assured me. "I don't even want to meet him."

It looked like she wanted to say more, but she didn't. Part of me hoped that she was going to say that she wanted to date _me,_ but I knew that was just wishful thinking.

Instead of saying anything, she leaned over and kissed me gently. Pulling back just enough to speak, she said, "Tell me not to go, and I won't."

I leaned my forehead against hers, debating between listening to what my brain was telling me, and following my heart. I could love Cammie wholeheartedly if I allowed myself, and after all our time together, I was pretty sure I had already given her half of it. Hell, maybe even three-quarters of it! But what would that mean for us in the long run? What we had right now was amazing, and I didn't want to ruin our friendship (or whatever you wanted to call it). But I definitely couldn't stand the thought of her going on a date with someone else and possibly falling in love with him instead.

"Don't go," I whispered into the small space between us, hating the vulnerability in my voice as I took a chance on what my heart wanted.

"Done." She kissed me again, more forcefully this time, and I found that I was totally infatuated with her, more so than I ever had been with anyone before. And I also found that I was completely okay with being defenseless with her, knowing I could at any moment be crushed if she ever decided to end things, because at least I got to hold her in the moment.

We continued to make out in my car for a while before Cammie lured me out of it and inside her house, where we spent the better part of the night tangled up with each other.

* * *

 _I have no idea what the heck an H10-24 is. I'm pretty sure I just made it up (:_

 _Sorry to have waited so long to get this posted! For a while, I was stumped on what to have happen :/ but I hope you all enjoyed this chapter anyway!_

 _A huge, HUGE thanks to everyone who's still reading this story. I know sometimes when authors take forever to update people stop reading because they forget what happened previously and they lose interest... For those who are still here, I love you for being so patient and sticking by me during my writer's block lol. And thanks to all your awesome reviews :D_

 _Stay awesome (:_


	15. Chapter 15

_Chapter Fifteen_

 _ **{Cammie}**_

Despite my refusal to meet and date Josh, Bex still invited him to sit with us for lunch at school the following Monday, claiming that once I met him, I'd be thanking her for not listening to my protests. Although I knew that most definitely wouldn't be the case.

So, that's how I ended up sitting next to a boy with the waviest hair and the sweetest smile, while simultaneously sitting across from a boy with the deadliest of glares burning a hole into Josh's head. I couldn't say that I was pleased with the arrangement either, but as pissed and uncomfortable as I was, I couldn't say I was _displeased_ with it. Josh ended up being really cool after we started talking, and he was everything Bex promised he was. He was cute and funny, and as much as Bex built up how sweet he was, he definitely lived up to my expectations. We talked about work and what we liked to do in our free time, and it turned out that we had a lot in common. I couldn't deny that had Zach not been in the picture, I would've definitely been interested in Josh. So, I flirted a little because it was so easy to with him, but I'd stop myself short every time because I'd catch sight of Zach and I'd remember that this thing with Josh was never going to go anywhere, and I didn't want to give him any reason to think otherwise.

I was walking to my locker after lunch let out when I heard my name being called. I turned to see Josh approaching, and I scolded myself for the automatic smile that appeared at the sight of him.

"Hey," he smiled once he reached me. "Care to show me where my next class is?"

"Haven't you been here a week?" I asked.

"Sometimes I still get lost," he told me with a flirty flare.

I laughed and agreed to escort him to his class, because even though I didn't want to date him, that didn't mean we couldn't be friends.

Once we were en route, I decided I needed to be honest with Josh and tell him where we stood, knowing that Bex had probably already told him something would arise from our little _date_.

Hesitantly, I started, "Hey, Josh? I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay," he replied, urging me to go on.

"I don't know what Bex told you, but I'm not really in the right place to be dating anyone right now," I explained, holding my breath for his reaction. He seemed cool and all, but who knew if his true colors would show once he was rejected.

But instead of blowing up on me for leading him on, he simply nodded his head. "Because you're in love with someone else, I know," he said matter-of-factly.

Shocked and also a bit panicked, I remained silent, although I'm sure my eyes tripled in size.

"This someone doesn't happen to be a certain brown-haired boy who wouldn't stop glaring at me the whole lunch, does it?" he asked, and I could tell that he knew that's exactly who it was, thanks to the teasing smile that was making its way across his pretty face.

"Zach and I are just friends, if you could even call it that," I explained, shaking my head. "We haven't been on the best of terms the past three years."

"Seems to me that that's changed," Josh said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Yeah," I admitted with a sigh, and from the nod he gave me, I knew he understood exactly _how_ things between Zach and I had changed. "And, um, if you could keep all this to yourself, I'd really appreciate it."

He chuckled and shook his head, as if he was laughing at me. "You haven't told your friends yet, have you?"

"Not all of them, no," I answered with a sheepish grin.

"I won't tell anyone," he promised. "But I guarantee they already know."

"It's that obvious?" I asked, more concerned than panicked this time.

Josh nodded. "More so for him than you, but yeah, it's that obvious," he explained.

I must've looked as confused as I felt, because Josh smiled and gave me a weird look. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed?" he asked, amused by my ignorance.

"Notice what?" I asked, obviously not seeing what it was that he apparently saw.

He hesitated for a second, as if thinking it over in his brain, before sighing. "I'm pretty sure he wants to be the one to tell you this, but since the looks he gives you do just that and you _still_ haven't gotten it, I guess _someone's_ gonna have to spell it out for you." He turned to me and looked me dead in the eye so I knew he was being serious. Slowly, as if talking to a child, he told me, "Zach's in love with you, Cammie."

I was hoping he'd say that, but now that he had, I didn't know how to respond. Clearly things between Zach and I had changed for the better, but just because we were getting along didn't mean he automatically had feelings for me. Sure, he didn't want me to date Josh, but that was probably just due to him fearing we'd have to stop whatever it was we were doing since I'd no longer be single and available. I mean, it was _Zach_ we were talking about—there was no way he developed feelings for me in such a short time after the long years we spent purposefully trying to get the other to hate us. We were just trying to salvage our friendship—not build a romance.

I couldn't fault Josh for thinking otherwise considering he had no clue what our dynamics were the past three years. He just thought he was being nice.

"No offence, Josh, but you don't really know what's going on between Zach and I," I told him, although it hurt (just a smidge) to destroy the small hope I had acquired at his words. "It's not…like that. We agreed that no feelings were to get involved."

"But like you said, things have changed," Josh challenged.

I shook my head. "Not that much."

"But _you're_ in love with him?" he clarified.

And reluctantly, I nodded, because I had to admit that I royally screwed up, and it's easier to do that to a stranger than to someone who knows the impact it could have.

"Are you going to tell him?" he asked, frowning.

"I don't know. Maybe," I told him with a shrug, knowing it was a lie.

Josh knew it, too, and he gave me a rather disappointed look.

"No," I admitted the truth. "What we're doing, although it's not real…it's enough. I don't want to ruin it." I hated how ashamed my voice sounded, but then I realized how ashamed I truly felt, and I hated it even more. How had I let myself stray this far down a path I knew I needed to avoid? Not only did I fall in love with Zach, but I was completely fine with him taking advantage of me without having the same feelings in return.

"Cammie," Josh's voice was soft, and I couldn't help but feel more embarrassed by his pity. "You're only getting half of what you deserve. Don't you want to be with someone who truly loves you?"

"Half of Zach is…enough," I repeated, however sad and disturbed it was that it was true.

Josh laughed humorlessly. "That's pretty fucked up, Cam," he told me, and although it was crude and vulgar, it described my situation perfectly.

I didn't have to say anything for him to know I agreed. I'm sure it was clearly written across my face how clueless I'd been during my time with Zach. And after listening to what Josh had to say, and with such disappointment despite only knowing me for a full lunch period, I realized that half of Zach wasn't enough anymore. I wanted more than what we were doing—than what he was giving me. I wanted a full, real relationship with Zach, Macey's promise be damned. And if he couldn't give that to me, then I couldn't keep going. I couldn't keep pretending like I was fine— _happy_ even—with our no-strings-attached fling.

"Well," Josh said, stopping in front of his classroom that I hadn't even paid close enough attention to be able to lead him to. "I hope everything works out for you guys." He gave me a sad smile, and I knew what he was trying to say; that he hoped I didn't end up hurt.

I wanted to say that everything would be okay, but I knew that it was way too late for that kind of lie. There was no escaping the agony that would surely come.

At this point, I was just waiting on the inevitable.

::*::*::*::

 _ **{Zach}**_

I needed Cammie at my house that night after watching her flirt shamelessly with fucking _Josh Abrams_ , the sweetest and most perfect guy in the world for her (according to Bex). Even if it were to watch a dumb chick-flick movie, I just needed the reassurance that it was _me_ she was spending that evening with, and that I hadn't completely lost her to that fucker.

Cammie curled up into my side once we started the movie, although she was a bit stiff and she tensed up anytime I tried to touch her. Eventually, she allowed me to drape my arm around her, and she seemed to relax after a few minutes of me twirling her hair with my fingers, but she was still obviously on edge. I was afraid that maybe she was pulling away because of a growing attraction she had for Josh, but she assured me there was nothing between them, and there never would be.

I didn't miss the spark in her eye when I practically growled, " _Good_ ," and kissed the shit out of her to remind her that she was mine, but what the flicker meant I wasn't sure. It almost resembled that of growing hope, but it could've easily been (and more likely was) growing desire for what our nights usually consisted of. Besides, what was it she'd have hope for?

Halfway through the movie, my phone buzzed with an incoming text, and I had to refrain from groaning at the name that appeared on my screen to prevent Cammie from asking questions.

 _Aubree: What's going on with you and Cammie Morgan?_

 _Me: What are you talking about?_

 _Aubree: Jessica says Cam's car is in your driveway._

Of course. Jessica, who was one of Aubree's best friends, lived across the street and a few houses down from me. She must've told Aubree that Cammie was here and, apparently, Aubree wasn't exactly thrilled, although she had no reason to be angry.

 _Me: We're just hanging out. We're friends, is that not allowed?_

 _Aubree: Since when are you two FRIENDS?_

Just from reading her last message, I could feel the exaggerated eye roll that no doubt accompanied it. I decided not to respond anymore and to just focus on being with Cammie.

After a few minutes, Aubree texted back, obviously not appreciating being ignored.

 _Aubree: Are you guys hooking up?_

 _Aubree: Is she the reason you didn't want to get back together?!_

Again, I ignored her. I didn't have to explain myself or my relationships to her. I owed her nothing.

But either that didn't register with her, or she didn't care, because she sent me another text despite my lack of responses.

 _Aubree: Remember when we talked about making mistakes? Well, you just made a huge one._

I'd heard enough empty threats from her during the two years we dated to know she was just angry. I turned off my phone so she couldn't text me again and ruin my night while I had my arms wrapped around the girl of my dreams.

After the movie ended, I put in another one—one that didn't matter because I was through with ignoring my craving for Cammie's touch. It didn't take long before we completely abandoned the movie and got ourselves tangled up with each other.

Laying on the couch with her smaller figure under my bigger and harder one, my hands trailed down the length of her, needing to feel more of her flesh under my skin. Usually whenever we made out, I did things to her because I enjoyed it, and I loved listening to her reactions to my touch; a small moan or an intake of air as she gasped.

But this time, I did things because I _needed_ to. I needed to know that what was happening was real, and that she was still here with me. Seeing her with Josh at lunch had made me realize that someone else could come along and sweep her away—could give her something I couldn't. One day, she was going to wake up and realize that, and I was going to be left behind like this thing between us didn't even matter. And maybe for her, it didn't—maybe to her, we were just temporary, like we'd been saying all along.

But I didn't want us to end. Not yet. Nothing had ever felt this good, not even what I had with Aubree. Being with Cammie was something completely different than I'd ever experienced, and I knew no other girl would have this effect on me again. Only Cammie could kiss me and it be this fiery and this electric.

At the same time, though, I knew I couldn't give her a real relationship, and even if that wasn't what she wanted right now, eventually she would. I just hoped, for my sake, that time would be _way_ into the future.

I softly kissed her lips, then trailed my mouth down her cheek and along her neck, hoping that she knew—and at the same time, praying that she _didn't_ know—just how scared I was to watch her and Josh talk about all the things she and I never discussed, or laugh about the things they had in common that I didn't understand. I knew that he was probably a better fit for her than I ever would be, but the selfish part of me hoped she never realized that and she would, instead, chose to be kissing me rather than be dating him.

Just as she seemed to be understanding what my mouth would not say, she gently shoved me off her and sat up out from under me.

"Cam, what's wrong?" I asked in concern, noticing the panicked expression on her otherwise flawless face.

"I just…don't feel good," she said lamely, obviously using it as an excuse to leave. "I should probably go."

"Wait, Cammie," I exclaimed, reaching out and grabbing hold of her elbow. "Talk to me."

She shook her head. "It's nothing, Zach. I just need to leave," she said, avoiding my eyes the whole time as she stood up and grabbed her stuff.

"This isn't gonna work if we don't communicate," I scolded her, slightly angry at her for choosing that moment to be unpredictable, and for my lack of ability to read her like a book like I had come to do sometime within the past few weeks.

"This isn't real," she exclaimed, turning around at the front door and her gaze immediately zeroing in on me. "It's not like we're in love or anything. We're not even in a fucking relationship, so why does it matter if I _communicate_ or not?"

I winced at the brash word coming from her usually classy mouth. _Fuck_ was not a word I liked hearing coming from Cammie, especially with the venom she used to spit it and mock me with.

"Why are you acting like this?" I asked, not even bothering to try to hide the hurt in my voice.

"Because…because I can't accept halfway anymore. Not when I've given you everything," she answered, her voice cracking slightly, and the complete vulnerability on her face actually physically hurt to look at.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, trying to sound calm whereas she sounded frantic and erratic.

"I deserve to be with someone who wants to be with me. _Really_ be with me, not just behind closed doors," she continued as if I hadn't even spoken, and whatever argument was ready to roll off my tongue died when I heard her words. I halted where I stood and just looked at her, stunned in place.

It was like my worst nightmare was coming true. This was it. This was when she realized she wanted more. Although I'd been expecting it, I never imagined how hard it would be to hear, much less accept, that she was done with me.

"I deserve to be with someone who wants to see me because he misses me, not just because he wants to hook up. Someone who cares about me and wants to make me happy, and who I can make happy. Someone who actually loves me back."

I could've said I was that guy. She was looking at me like she wanted me to say I was that guy—practically _begging_ me with those big, desperate, beautiful blue eyes to say I was that guy. I knew all I had to do was say it and she'd believe me. She'd put her things down, walk into my open arms, wrap herself around me, and _stay_. It'd be easy. All I had to do was say it…

But I couldn't. Not because it wasn't true, but because she didn't deserve for it to be true. Cammie deserved the best, and like she said before our little arrangement, I was number eight on her list—right above Declan. I was barely better than the dumbass who my cousin for some reason chose to date, and she deserved _way_ better than that. It didn't matter that right now, I was who she wanted. I would always be the jerk who tormented her throughout high school, and who made her life a living hell. I knew I wasn't good enough the moment I met her, and after three years of being a complete _ass_ to her, I knew I never would be.

"I'm sorry," I told her, my voice strained as if all my emotions were caught in my throat and were blocking my words.

Tears had begun to well up in Cammie's eyes as she looked at me, her mouth opening and closing like she wanted to say something but nothing was coming out.

The pain on her face was enough for me to want to explain why I wouldn't say how I truly felt, but I knew I couldn't. If I did, she'd try to tell me how wrong I was and that she's already forgiven me for our past. And I couldn't let her settle for anything less than what she deserved.

Instead, I told her, "Like you said, you deserve someone who loves you, and I can't stand in your way of finding him." I tried to keep the anguish out of my voice, because she'd know the truth if I had let it show. I hated myself for pretending like what I was saying had no effect on me, especially when it was clearly breaking her heart as she fought to hold back her sobs.

She didn't say anything after that. She just turned and stormed out the door, wiping at her tear-streaked cheeks and sniffling to keep herself from crying out loud.

And I held back sobs of my own as it felt like little pieces of my heart were breaking away the further she walked from me.

::*::*::*::

 _ **{Cammie}**_

I didn't understand how Zach couldn't get the hint that I was in love with him. I practically spelt it out for him! And yet, he still didn't comprehend that I was meaning _him_ when I was talking about the guy who I wanted and deserved.

Or maybe he did and he just didn't love me back? Maybe that's why he ended things between us and let me leave his place bawling through the pain of my shattered heart.

As quickly as I bolted from his house, I jumped in my car and started the engine, not being able to get out of there fast enough. Although I probably should have waited until I was calm and thinking clearly before speeding away, I just wanted to get home.

I hated myself for falling for him even though I knew I shouldn't have, despite all my warnings to keep my distance so that this exact thing didn't happen. I tried so hard in the beginning to protect myself from his charm and keep myself guarded, but the prick convinced me that if I was too busy worrying about what might happen in the future I wasn't enjoying the present, and I removed all my walls so that I could appreciate everything he had to offer. I bet this was his plan all along—to get me to trust him and fall in love with him, just so he could rip my heart out and stomp on it until there was nothing left. He sure didn't seem too troubled while I was standing in front of him, crying, and he was as emotionless as a rock. I was such an idiot. A _huge fucking idiot_. I had no one to blame but myself for falling for his manipulative ways.

While I was in the middle of cursing all that was Zachary Goode, I heard a car blare its horn and I was snapped back to Earth and what was happening around me.

And that's when the bright lights smashed into me and everything went black.

* * *

 _I know I've made Cammie and Zach go back and forth waaaaay too much in this story (pssh, in this chapter alone!), but oh well. That's what I get for not having it all planned out before I started writing lol. My bad._

 _Let me know what you guys think about the angst-iness of this chapter! I've had so many awesome reviews throughout this whole story, so thank you all for being so supportive (: and I hope this chapter didn't disappoint y'all._

 _Stay awesome (:_


	16. Chapter 16

_Chapter Sixteen_

 _ **{Zach}**_

What the hell did I do?

Mine and Cammie's last conversation was of me breaking her heart, and now she was in the hospital. I couldn't understand Macey's frantic phone call, but I know I heard her say something about a car crash, and that Cammie was in critical condition. And my throbbing, over-paranoid heart took that to mean one thing…

That may have well been our last conversation _ever_.

On the drive over, I begged and prayed to God that Cammie would be okay. She _needed_ to be okay so I could set everything straight. So I could tell her that I loved her and I only said what I did because I truly believed she'd be happier with someone else. And even if she still hated me and wanted nothing to do with me after the way I treated her, at least she'd be alive.

I had full intentions on storming right up to the receptionist's desk and demanding answers, but Macey called out my name from the waiting room where everyone had gathered and I joined them instead.

"Zach!" she yelled as she ran over and threw her arms around me. Her eyes were puffy and red, and I had the sickening realization that my stone-cold cousin was actually crying.

"What happened? Is she okay?" I asked, holding Macey as she cried into my shoulder. I looked around at my friends, hoping to get some answers. I saw that Josh had been invited, and for a moment, I was actually kind of proud that I didn't resent his presence.

"We don't know anything," Grant said from where he sat, his head in his hands.

"Well, why not?" I shouted, pushing Macey aside, who went back to her boyfriend and resumed to cry, albeit softer now.

"We're not family. They won't tell us anything," Ryan scoffed. Mumbling, he added, "Such cliché bullshit."

"So, where are her parents? Get her mom here so we can figure out what the hell is going on," I demanded. No one commented on how uncharacteristically worried I was about the small blonde, for which I was thankful. Now was not the time to explain what had been going on between us.

"Her mom is on her way," Bex explained. "She's coming from the airport. She just dropped off Cam's dad."

The airport was at least half an hour away from the hospital, which meant it was going to be a while before we got any answers. I slumped down in the seat next to Grant and Jonas, doing my best to calm my mind from immediately wandering to the worst-case scenario.

A nurse stopped by and told us that Mrs. Morgan had called and asked to allow Cammie visitors until she arrived. She must've hated the thought of Cammie being all alone during a time like this almost as much as I hated it. One by one, we entered the room to see her, but every person that went in, always came out ten or fifteen minutes later claiming she still hadn't woken up. The nurse explained that it was normal for the body to rest after such a traumatic experience and not to worry, but it was no use trying to convince me of that.

Finally, it was my turn. Opening the hospital room door, I spotted Cammie's small frame asleep under a stark white blanket that looked like it couldn't warm a fucking fly. She looked so peaceful, despite all the cuts and scratches that lined her face and the way her hair matted together from sweat, most likely. What I wanted most was to touch her—grab her hand and tell her everything was going to be okay, and that I'd make sure of it—but I was afraid that if I did, I'd only break her more. That seemed to be a common occurrence with us.

Instead, I just stood there and watched her, my eyes stinging from the threat of tears I refused to let surface. My jaw ached from how hard I was clenching it as I held everything back. All I could think about was what she'd say or do if she was awake and could see me now. Before I ruined everything, she would've smoothed her hand across the hard features of my face, softening them with her feather-light touches. She would've placed her lips on my cheek, my nose, my hair—anywhere she could—and kissed away the pain while she whispered all kinds of forgiving words. She would've done everything I loved, and things I didn't deserve, but I would let her because she was Cammie.

Now, after I fucked up and broke her unbelievably loving heart, she probably would've screamed at me to get the fuck out and to never come back, telling me how horrible of a friend I was to play her like I did and that she never wanted to see me again. She'd tell me how stupid she was for believing in me and trusting me the way she had, and how she shouldn't have expected any different from me given my track record. She'd throw every little insecurity I had in my face out of anger and betrayal, but also out of honesty. And it would've completely crushed every fiber of my being, but I couldn't exactly blame her for it because it was what I deserved. I hurt her, the least I could do was let her destroy my heart in ways that only she could.

I released a sigh, knowing that my visiting time with her was quickly running out.

"I'm sorry, Cam." I laughed humorlessly at my pathetic use of the cliché phrase. "How many times tonight have you heard that one?" I glanced over her face, eyeing her to see if there was any sign that she could hear me, but she remained as peaceful as one could with an IV in their arm and being hooked up to a heartrate monitor.

"I just…I don't know what else to say," I admitted. " _I messed up_ doesn't even begin to explain it. _I'm a huge fucking idiot and I never deserved someone like you to love me_ seems better, but even that isn't enough. _You deserve to be happy, and I've proven that I can't do that for you_ …that's about right," I rambled.

I shook my head, sighing once again. How could I put my feelings into words that made sense?

"You said you deserved someone who wants to be with you, who cares about you and wants to make you happy…who actually loves you. And I so badly wanted to say that I was that guy. Truth is, I'm a guy who wants to do all those things—who _can_ do all those things. But I'm not the guy who you deserve. That's why I ended things. Not because I didn't want to be with you, but because you could do way better than an asshole who was too chicken shit to tell you from the beginning how he felt, and instead pretended not to care about you. Yeah, you said you forgave me, and there's no doubt that at one point you had, but I bullied you, Cammie. I will never forgive _myself_ for that."

I rambled on for another few minutes about how fucked up I was and how I'd understand if she woke up and hated my guts, despite me being hopelessly in love with her. Even though she couldn't hear me, it made me feel a little better finally saying it to her face.

Before I left, I reluctantly reached out for her hand and tangled our fingers together, even though I told myself I shouldn't. But just that touch was enough for me to be able to finally let her go.

When I returned to the waiting room, I saw that Mrs. Morgan had arrived, although she hadn't joined her daughter's friends and was, instead, standing out of earshot with a police officer who looked rather disturbed by what he was telling her.

"What's going on? Why is Mrs. Morgan talking to a police officer?" I asked before noticing everyone's grave expressions. When I left to see Cammie, they were all worried and depressed, but now they almost looked scared.

"Because they're investigating a homicide attempt," Macey explained, running a hand through her hair and holding it away from her face before letting it fall again.

"What?" I asked in shock. A _homicide attempt_? As in, _killing_ someone?

"Cammie's brakes were cut," Grant explained further, his tired eyes barely even able to focus on me properly. "She rolled into the middle of the intersection at a red light because she couldn't stop her car. Apparently, if she doesn't wake up, whoever cut her brakes is facing charges of manslaughter."

At his words, Liz turned an even paler shade of green, and I could relate to feeling sick at the thought of Cammie having been "slaughtered".

"Someone did this to her?" I asked, growing nauseous and angry at the same time. "But who would—"

I stopped mid-question because I had a suspicion that I already knew the answer.

 _Aubree._

She was the one behind this. I didn't even need proof to know it was true. Her threatening text last night was enough. She either had Jessica go out and cut Cam's brakes after our conversation, or she drove over there herself and did it. Aubree Wexler was a lot of things, I knew firsthand, but I never thought crazy was on that list.

Suddenly, it hit me that Aubree did this because she thought Cammie and I were together. Even though Aubree (or Jessica by Aubree's orders) was the one who had cut Cammie's brakes, I was the one responsible for her ending up in the hospital in critical condition.

I should've known Aubree was never going to give up. She loved to have the final word, and I simply would not give it to her. This all could've been avoided had I just listened to Ryan and gone out with Aubree until she broke it off for good. Instead, I was stubborn and too in love with Cammie to realize the severity of which Aubree would go to get her beloved last word.

My heartbeat picked up its pace and my breathing became rapid and shallow. I spent the last three years silently protecting Cammie from the horrible guys out there that would never see her true worth and would only hurt her, when in reality, I was the biggest monster of them all.

"This is all my fault." I wasn't sure the others could hear me, but that was just as well considering I was talking to myself anyway. How was I supposed to explain to them that I'd done this to her? That I brought this nightmare upon her and I failed once again to do the one thing I swore I would, despite the bad blood between us?

Unfortunately, my mind was slowly being driven insane by the thought that I was responsible for this, and I wasn't paying attention to what exactly I was saying when I was pacing back and forth and tugging at my hair in frustration while practically screaming out, "This is all my goddamn fault!"

"No, it's not, Zach," Bex assured me in a tired voice that matched the look in Grant's eyes. "You couldn't have known when she left that—"

"Aubree did this!" I shouted at her, snapping myself around and flailing my arms about in a wild manner. "Aubree did this because of me!"

Everyone went quiet, and it wasn't until Macey stood up and eyed me that I realized what I had said.

"What are you talking about?" she asked suspiciously, and by the accusation written on her face, I knew she picked up on the unintentional meaning behind my words.

I stayed quiet, knowing I fucked up big time, but not knowing how the hell to fix it.

"Zach?" Macey's eyes hardened, and her voice was threatening like a lion's roar. "Tell me. _Now_."

Ryan covertly shook his head at me, silently telling me not to tell her, at least not right then. Cammie was unconscious in a hospital bed, and because of that, we had all been lacking much needed sleep and were thinking irrationally. Nothing good would come from airing out my dirty laundry at the moment.

Hannah slithered up next to Ryan, ducking her head into his neck and avoiding eye contact with everyone. She must not have thought it was a good idea, either.

What was even more surprising was that Josh caught my eye and he, too, gave the smallest of movements resembling a head shake to tell me to keep quiet, as well. I knew I shouldn't have been upset by it, but I was, and I really wanted to punch him in the face for knowing mine and Cammie's secret.

Instead, I turned to Macey, aiming to keep my voice calm as I spoke. "I'm not doing this right now."

"Why not? It's as good a time as any," she argued, breaking away from Declan's hold on her.

"Macey…"

"Time to be honest, Zach," she snapped, and although I had a feeling she had figured it all out before, now it was apparent she knew what I wasn't saying. "It's the least you can do for her, don't you think? Considering this is all _your goddamn fault_ ," she mocked me with an irate growl.

Ryan stepped up, placing a hand on her shoulder and steering her away from me as if he could shake her of her anger. "Mace, this isn't the time or the place for drama," he warned.

"You knew, too?" she scoffed, her eyes dry but still red, from crying or anger I wasn't sure. Maybe a mixture of the two. "Un-fucking-believable."

"Be mad all you want," he told her, his voice not giving away any of his emotions, "but the truth of the matter is that we have more important things to be worrying about right now than drudging up facts you're not in the right mindset to be hearing."

"Typical," Macey spat, rolling her eyes. "Zach's too big of a _pussy_ to say how he really feels. It's like freshman year all over again, huh, _cous_? When you weren't man enough to tell me that you liked Cammie?"

I didn't know how she found out about my feelings for Cam back then, and I'm sure the confusion was evident as I stared at her in shock.

"What, you thought I didn't know?" she asked, sneering. "You always want what you can't have, Zach, and I told you she was off-limits. Of course I kept my eyes on you, dumbass. But I stopped when it looked like you two had begun to hate each other. I guess that was my mistake. Either that, or you're more manipulative than I thought."

I opened my mouth to argue—to tell her that it was her fucking promise that drove Cam and me apart, and that we did it out of loyalty to her—but I was cut off by the nurse who had reappeared through the waiting room doors.

"Sorry to interrupt," she started, although she probably wasn't sorry at all, and then the room grew quiet as she looked around at our group, the tension filling in the silence.

"Ms. Morgan is awake, and she's asking for Zach."

* * *

 _I don't even know if cutting someone's brakes is a real thing, or if it's just something people do in the movies...and now fanfic stories._

 _There were a lot of comments revolved around Josh, which I was sort of surprised about. A lot of you guys mentioned how you hope Cammie doesn't end up with Josh, and then there was one person who said they couldn't believe they actually liked Josh, of all people, in my story... I never understood why everyone hates Josh. I thought he was a very realistic character, and can't we take a moment to appreciate the fact that he went to like five different churches looking for Cammie after meeting her ONE TIME?! How freaking precious is that? And he got her a bottle for her imaginary cat, and he remembered her fake birthday, AND he ran construction equipment through a wall in an attempt to save her from a supposed KIDNAPPER... who freaking does that?! I wouldn't mind having my own Josh, to be perfectly honest ;) But to each their own, I guess._

 _People said they wanted Macey to be accepting of Zach and Cammie's relationship, but I thought back to previous chapters and decided that it wouldn't be right for her character to be okay with it when she's first told. She honestly believes she was protecting Cam with her promise, and she truly wanted to keep them away from each other...so for her to just be like "Okay, cool" just doesn't make any sense. Also, they betrayed her trust and went behind her back... hell no she wouldn't be cool with that!_

 _One guest reviewer (AllyCarterFan) mentioned how in some fanfics, Zach and Cammie actually don't end up together, and believe me, I've thought about it many times...however people invest a lot of time and interest into stories with multiple chapters, and they wait like weeks on end for updates, so I don't think I could do that to them when everyone's expecting Zammie as the final product. Maybe in like one-shots I'd probably consider doing it, but probably not for longer stories such as this (could you imagine waiting 16 chapters or more and like six months to find out Cammie chose Josh instead? When he wasn't even introduced until chapter 15! Tragic...)_

 _Sorry for a short chapter and a long A/N... at least I kinda got it out quick, right? Lol._

 _Don't forget to leave a review! Thanks for your support and kind words (hint hint). Stay awesome (:_


	17. Chapter 17

_Chapter Seventeen_

 _ **{Cammie}**_

"Hey."

I looked up from my hands that I had been wringing together ever since I had woken up in the hospital. Zach was standing in the doorway, looking uneasy and apprehensive as he watched me.

"Hi," I returned, my voice shaky.

"You're awake," he stated, not moving any closer to where I was sitting on top of the hospital bed. Instead, he remained by the door, his body stiff and awkward. He was keeping his distance, almost as if he felt like he'd be intruding if he didn't, despite me being the one who asked to see him.

I nodded, feeling the tension radiating off of him. "Yeah," I replied, just as awkward.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," I told him, nodding once again like a freaking bobble-head doll. "The doctor said there are no broken bones, no internal damage or long lasting effects. Sounds like I got lucky."

This time he didn't say anything. He simply stared at me, his face stern like he was concentrating really hard on not crying, his expression morphed into one of pain.

"I know I'm not exactly pageant material, but it's not that bad, is it?" I asked, only partially joking. I knew I had a bunch of cuts peppering my face and a white gauze wrapped around one of my arms since it apparently had been bleeding pretty badly, but I didn't think the damage was bad enough to require the degree of staring in which Zach was giving me.

He shook his head. "It's just…I did this to you. It's my fault," he said, his voice filled with anguish and self-hatred.

"I know that's what you believe, but—"

"Aubree wanted me back, but I told her we were over for good. Then she found out about us, so she went after you because she knows I care about you," he explained, anger mixing with the desolation.

"It's not your fault," I told him with conviction. The whole reason I had asked to see him was because I knew he'd be beating himself up about what happened to me. He'd blame himself, despite it being completely irrational to do so. I just wanted to tell him that the accident had nothing to do with him, but it seemed as if he was already convinced he had everything to do with it.

Borderline hysterical, he threw his hands wide and practically shouted, "But it is! Aubree cut the brakes on your car because she was jealous that you were with me when she wanted to be. You were out driving that death-mobile because I was too stubborn to tell you I love you and I basically pushed you out the door. Can't you see, Cam? _It's all my fault!_ "

"Hey," I interrupted before he could continue on his downward spiral, keeping my voice calm and soothing. "Come here. Sit."

Without much argument, he did as I said and sat in the chair next to me. Instantly, I grabbed for his hand, tangling our fingers together and holding tight so he could grasp how serious I was.

"You didn't do this, okay? This is Aubree's fault," I told him, stressing every word.

He turned away from me, untangling his hand from mine and running it through the mess of his hair. "I'm a fuck up, Cam. I ruin everything I touch. I—"

"No." I grabbed his face and turned him back to me, forcing him to look me dead in the eyes. He wasn't crying, because Zach wasn't one to normally cry, but the vulnerability that was there was just as daunting. It was heartbreaking to see someone who's usually so strong be completely shattered by their own thoughts.

"No," I repeated, stronger this time. "You did not do this, because you are a good person. And I know that if you had any idea that this would happen, you would've done anything to protect me. Because that's who you are, Zach. You're not some fuck up. Okay?"

Although he was hesitant, he nodded his head, and I released a breath.

"I'm so sorry, Cammie," he apologized, pulling me to him.

I wrapped my arms around him while he buried his head into my shoulder, squeezing me tight as if he was afraid I'd disappeared if he let go. I told him that it was okay, whispering assurances to him as his tortured breathing subsided.

Finally, after he had completely calmed down, I asked him, "Did you say you love me?"

At first, he didn't move. So, I pulled back to look at him, because I wanted to see his expression when he answered.

Hesitantly, he nodded. "Yeah."

"Did you…did you mean it?" I asked, holding my breath as I waited for his reply.

A ghost of a laugh escaped his lips, like he couldn't believe I had asked such a question. Again he nodded, but this time with more certainty. "Every word."

I wanted to smile as my heart skipped a beat. _Zachary Goode loves me_.

"Why couldn't you have told me that before the accident?" I was joking, but a part of me was seriously wondering why he ended things between us, claiming he didn't want to stand in the way of me finding a guy who truly loved me and wanted to be with me, when he was that guy all along.

"I had convinced myself that you deserved better than me," he explained. "Because of our history and how I've treated you."

"But I told you I forgave you, though," I reminded him, hating that he thought so poorly of himself on my account.

"But I didn't think I deserved to be forgiven," he argued, looking ashamed again.

I gave him a small smile. "Can't you just accept my forgiveness and not worry so much about who deserves what?"

"I'm not sure it's in my nature to accept the thought that we belong together," he said, and I glared at him. He chuckled softly, then added, "But I guess I can learn to try."

I wrapped my arms around him again, giving him a quick kiss before hugging him. Although his hold on me was just as tight as before, this time I knew it was because Zach was happy to have me in his arms.

"What are we gonna do about Macey?" I asked nervously. "I mean, we're gonna have to tell her sometime."

"She already knows," he admitted, not looking too thrilled or pleased about it.

I scrunched my face up in concern. "Is she mad?"

"She's pissed."

"So, I repeat. What are we gonna do?"

"I'll handle it," he told me. "We didn't get to talk about it much before you called me back here. I have a feeling she has a lot more to say to me."

"No matter what," I started, "I want to be with you. And I know that breaks our promise to Macey, but I don't care. I've been unhappy for too long because of it, and if she's a real friend, she won't want to stand in my way any longer."

He nodded in understanding. Then, a smirk broke out across his face. "Staying away from me made you unhappy for too long, huh?"

I rolled my eyes, smiling none-the-less.

"How long are we talking exactly?" he teased.

I laughed and gave him a gentle shove towards the door. "Go talk to Macey," I said through my giggling.

And then he left, doing as I said and going to talk to his cousin about our newly established relationship.

But not before crushing my lips with his and kissing the crap out of me, bringing a huge grin to my face.

::*::*::*::

 _ **{Zach}**_

Macey wasn't at the hospital when I returned from Cammie's room. She was probably too pissed about my confession and didn't want to have to deal with either of us until she calmed down. Which, with Macey, could quite possibly be never.

I left the hospital in search for her, and I knocked on her front door less than twenty minutes later.

"I was beginning to think you pussied out," Macey said after answering the door. She folded her arms in front of her chest, focusing her cold glare on me.

I nervously shoved my hands in my pockets. "I should've been honest with you from the beginning."

"You make it sound like this has been going on for a while," she said, arching her eyebrow as if daring me to contradict her.

I sighed. "If you let me in, I'll explain everything."

She gave a heavy sigh of her own before opening the door wider and moving aside for me to enter. I took a seat on the couch, while Macey decided to stay on the complete opposite side of the room, all twelve feet of space between us. The entire time I talked, starting with how it all began three years ago all the way up to almost letting Cammie get away right before the accident, Macey simply sat there, unmoving and unrelenting.

"I should've told you. I'm sorry," I finished with a sigh, reading her angry facial expression as one that wasn't ready to forgive Cam or myself just yet.

She stared at me for what felt like forever before finally speaking. "You lied to me. _Both_ of you. Not just about the last few months, but for years! _That's_ why you guys hated each other? Because of a promise?" she argued, disgust clearly written on her face as she shook her head. "Your entire relationship was a lie to the rest of us."

"I know. That's why I'm telling you the truth now," I admitted.

"That's not good enough, Zach," she snapped. Her eyes were wild with anger, but also another unreadable emotion I wished I could understand. "You should've told me you liked her back when it first started. Instead, you went behind my back and broke your promise to me!"

"I stayed away from her for three years for you. I think I fulfilled your damn promise, Macey," I reasoned, rightfully angry that she was acting like I planned on hurting her from the beginning.

"Maybe what I did was slightly fucked up and a bit overboard," she started, and I couldn't have agreed more, "but you still made me a promise, one that you knew was important to me, and you didn't honor it. I was trying to protect her! You would've charmed your way into her pants and then left her high and dry when you were done with her. It's what you do, Zach!"

"I dated Aubree for two years," I reminded her, although I hated remembering it myself after what she did to Cammie as revenge. "I've proved that it's not all I do anymore."

"But before her, you burned Tessa. Before Tessa, it was Lana. And before Lana, it was a whole bunch of other girls that you didn't really give two shits about. I wasn't about to let you do that to one of my best friends."

"You didn't even give me a chance," I argued. "You made me promise you before I even met your friends. It could've been different with her. It _is_ different with her. I love her, Macey!"

"Zach, we're only seventeen. We don't even know what love is!"

"I love her," I repeated, calmer and with more conviction so she knew it was the damn truth. "And I need to know you're okay with that."

"And if I'm not?" she asked, challenging me. Giving orders to Macey was pointless since she was completely stubborn and did whatever you asked her not to just to spite you, which was exactly what she was doing at that moment.

I shrugged helplessly. It didn't matter if she approved or not—Cammie and I were going to be together. It'd just be nice to have someone who was so important to both of us be on board with the idea. "Then hopefully, one day you will be."

Another long moment passed before she said anything. "She looks at you differently. I don't know how I never noticed that before. As much as I want to kick your ass, it doesn't seem like there's anything I can do to keep you two from being together." She paused, eyeing me with a hard glare. "You take care of her, you understand? You stop acting like a damn fool and you man the hell up. You treat her with respect and you spend every day for the rest of your life making up for the past three years. Maybe then you'll be worthy of her."

I nodded, not able to bring myself to argue, because I didn't necessarily disagree with her. I had a lot of making up to do before I even considered myself deserving of Cammie's love, despite her best efforts at convincing me I already was.

"Don't fuck this up, cous," Macey continued, giving her head a small shake. "She's the best thing that's ever gonna happen to you."

"I know." And I truly did. "And I won't. I promise."

She narrowed her eyes at my words, probably thinking that my promises didn't mean shit to her anymore, but then she relaxed and let out a sigh. "Then, yeah, maybe one day I'll be okay with it."

* * *

 _Macey's a little dramatic... but hey, they betrayed her and broke their promises! She has a right to feel a little irritated and hostile_

 _Let me know what y'all thought of the chapter (: I'm thinking there's only one more left, and it'll be kind of like an epilogue type of deal. I don't know, we'll see lol._

 _A big huge thanks to everyone who's been a fan of my story from the very beginning, and another one to those who have supported me. I do it for y'all (:_

 _Stay awesome my amazing readers (:_


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